Dark Crimson Messiah
by WolfWingsRandomWritings
Summary: An exploration of the life and character of Adam Taurus. Spoilers through Volume 6. Updates Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday.
1. Chapter 1: A Stubborn Young Bull

Author's Introduction:

It's been a while, but here we are again.

RWBY has been a favorite of mine for years, and I still really love it. Volume 7 is running now, and I'm a huge fan. I do, however, recognize, that the show took a little dive for me at the end of Volume 3. One of the most disappointing parts of this was Adam Taurus's character. Up to Volume 3, he was this complex, principled character, full-force on the cause of Faunus rights. After Volume 3, he just became Blake's toxic ex-boyfriend. I don't necessarily disagree with that (and I won't really be addressing it in this story), Adam was more than that. While I was disappointed, it wasn't enough to push me to the level of opposition to start writing. What did was Adam's death in Volume 6. The reveal of his brand felt so hollow, since it was _the thing_ we needed to show the level of Faunus oppression that would cause someone to become as violent and driven as Adam. But that just wasn't his character anymore. That, combined with a few of EruptionFang's videos ( user/EruptionFang), helped motivate Dark Crimson Messiah.

Dark Crimson Messiah will be my top-to-bottom run of Adam's story, hopping to important moments of his life as I had parts to tell. It's also an exploration of how Adam became who we saw in RWBY, and also how he devolved to what he became. My question to the readers is not "do you like Adam?" If I wrote this well, you will like him in the beginning. My question to you readers is "When do you _stop_ liking Adam?" You may never, you may always think that he was justified. He certainly does. But I want to know when people believe he's gone too far.

One other thing, I want to say that this story is dedicated to my dad. You might notice the style of my writing in this story is different from my previous works, a bit slower and more poetic. That is due to my father's comments when he read Life in a Dead World, and mentioned that my writing sounds a bit like a screenplay. That made sense to me, since I'm a very visual person and I plan my writing scenes as movie scenes. Still, I decided that I wanted to try and move a bit off that style. So on that note, this one's for my dad, and probably my proudest writing yet.

Hope you guys like this.

-WolfWing

* * *

The mineshaft was loud with the echoes of falling picks and cranking machinery. The scent of stale air mingled with the sweat of the Faunus working there under the harsh electric light. Shouts of overseers rang through the caverns as the Dust was moved up and out. The claustrophobia of the mine was less that of tight walls and hundreds of feet of rock above them. It was the confinement of too many bodies in too little space, the paranoia of knowing eyes were on them.

A teen Faunus's ears pricked up as he heard approaching footsteps, the even pace of a Schnee overseer making the usual rounds. He tried to return to his work, sifting the Dust crystals out of his batch of stones. His ribs had healed, but hearing those boots again made them twinge. His teeth ground as the man walked behind him, his eyes catching the edge of a silver-white garment. The ram-horned man next to him bumped him softly.

"Keep your eyes forward, Adam. Focus on your work." Tangris whispered for the hundredth time.

Adam reluctantly turned back to his table, picking a workable stone from his pile. His first strike opened it, revealing a dim green crystal inside. He switched chisels to clear the piece of Dust from the surrounding rock. His head jerked up as he heard a scream farther down the line. A feather-haired girl a short ways away was swatting at her arm, trying to put out the sudden fire of a Dust accident.

"Back to work!" The overseer shouted, and the other Faunus all lowered their eyes to the workbenches, but Adam stood transfixed. The girl fell to the ground, still crying in pain. The overseer extended his baton and beat at the girl, commanding her to get up, and Adam was running before he knew he was, beyond the reach of Tangris's grasping fingers and calls to stop. Adam did not stop. He shoved the human aside and reached the girl, pulling his shirt off and using it to quickly smother the fire. The flames finally faded and Adam began to breathe before he felt his head wrenched to the side. The overseer's hand was tight on his short horn, pulling him around.

"How dare you put your hands on me?" The man roared.

"She was on fire!" Adam screamed back, legs fumbling for purchase. "She was in pain and you just hit her!"

"You work when we tell you to work and stop when we tell you to stop!" The man's baton cracked across Adam's cheek and his face exploded in pain as he fell to the ground. He cried out, then gritted his teeth and glared up at the overseer as the man tossed the broken piece of his horn in his face. "You do not touch your betters!" He snarled.

"You're not better than me!" Adam roared, raising a fist to swing at the overseer. He landed a hit in the man's gut, but his next fist was caught behind him. Adam looked over his shoulder and his stomach dropped. The man behind them wore the uniform of a company executive.

"I remember you." The executive said. "You're the one we caught stealing food from the storeroom last week." Adam tried to free his hand, but the guards flanking the man grabbed Adam's arms and pulled him up between them as he struggled. The executive leaned closer to his face.

"The Schnee Dust Company gives you a home and a trade, and you have the audacity to lay a hand on your overseer." The man sounded almost amused, but there was a threatening tone to his words. "You're a defiant animal, aren't you?"

Adam spit at the man's face, eyes blazing. "We're not animals! We're people! We're Faunus!"

The executive cooly straightened, removed a handkerchief and wiped Adam's saliva off. "A person would learn from their mistakes. You're a bull. A stubborn young bull that belongs to the Schnee Dust Company." He held up a short, slender metal rod. "You are property. You will be known as such, and you will know your place." The sleeve was removed and Adam saw the glowing hot end. He struggled in the arms of the guards. The man extended the brand towards him, and Adam's struggling intensified. The executive hesitated, waiting for the guards to stabilize him, then decided he didn't care. He jabbed the brand towards Adam's forehead.

Adam's struggling became paralysis as the brand struck his left eye and he screamed louder and harder than he ever had. It seemed to come from some place deeper than his lungs, as though the whole of his being was channeled through his voice. The man held the brand in place, watching with some twisted fascination as Adam screamed, not even managing words or thoughts, his mind blank of anything that wasn't pain or fear. The brand was removed and Adam fell to the ground, barely aware that the guards had dropped him. He couldn't stop screaming, his hands clutching at his face as though he could pull the burning pain off of him. Eventually, his breath gave out and the screaming stopped, leaving him writhing on the ground. Adam's mind faded slowly as he lost consciousness from the pain.

No one left their stations to help him. No one touched him for hours. When the work day finally ended and the Faunus lined up to leave the mine, Tangris stopped to lift the boy from the ground. Adam was barely breathing, limp in the man's strong arms, drifting to the edges of consciousness for scattered groups of seconds like waves licking a shoreline. Inside Adam, something was changing. The heat of the brand became the heat of a forge, creating something new from the swirling bits of ideas inside him. Fear, pain, loyalty, empathy. The brand sparked fires of rage, melting the other thoughts together to form a powerful drive. Adam's soul awakened before he did. It burned brighter than ever. It burned with the will to fight.

* * *

Adam gradually returned to himself in the small bunk that he slept in. Tangris was sitting beside him on the edge of the cot, his hand gently rubbing Adam's shoulder. Adam stirred, sitting up slowly. Tangris's steadying hand on his back was not needed, but appreciated.

"Good, you're awake. I was worried."

"You worried I wouldn't wake up?"

"I was worried how long it would take you. You're too stubborn to die." There was no joviality or sarcasm in the ram's tone. Tangris breathed. "How do you feel?"

"It still hurts." Adam rubbed his eye, then realized he couldn't see. He pulled his hand away, heart suddenly racing, then calming as he sighted the wall across from him. He couldn't see Tangris beside him, not until he turned his head. Tangris's face was grave, his expression hidden by the thick red beard.

"The left one?"

Adam nodded slowly. "It'll heal though, right?"

"The horn, yes." Tangris said, his deep voice slowed by his imposed control of it. "The eye... I don't know." The eye in question had turned a blistered red, the pupil a sickly gray color. Tangris reached down to tear the hem off his shirt and passed the scrap to Adam. With the cloth across the burned eye, he could almost believe that it was the same clean sky blue as the other, if not for the edges of the angry red mark still visible at the borders. He sighed, wishing he could give this boy some sort of assurance. "That was foolish, Adam."

Adam looked down, adjusting the cloth to a more comfortable position. "What was I supposed to do? Just let him hit her while she burned?"

"It isn't that simple, Adam. The Schnee Dust Company may not be fair, but they do give us a home here. We can have a life if we keep our heads down and be patient."

"That isn't a life, Tangris!" Adam punched the bed and rose to his feet. "Making them Dust, earning nothing, living in caves like this, it's letting them make us animals!"

"And rising against them in blind anger is becoming one yourself." Tangris countered as Adam wheeled on him. He glanced around, noting the attention Adam's outburst had attracted from the Faunus in the bunkroom. He kept his voice even, refusing to match Adam's fervor. "You can't keep just throwing yourself at them, it never ends well. There are Faunus that work to improve our conditions. They try to gather support, to make humans reject the Schnee way and treat us as equals."

"Then it isn't working!" Adam shouted, panting slightly from his anger. "Look around yourself, Tangris, look how we're treated! Look what they think of us!" Adam jabbed a finger towards his ruined eye. "Look what they see us as! They don't listen to us, they don't understand words! They only understand force! If that's their language, then we need to learn to speak it too!"

"You're only thirteen, Adam. You can't fight humanity by yourself."

"I won't have to!" He turned around, his good right eye scanning the faces of the Faunus in the cramped room around them. "Look at these people, Tangris. Look at these Faunus! I look around this room, and do you know what I see? I see strength!" Adam fully turned from Tangris to address the rest of the room. "Humans shoved us down here because they know we're a threat! They made us live in a prison, work to make them stronger, and now they believe that we've lost all the strength that we once had. Faunus used to dominate wars against humans! We used to be feared, and we're still feared! If we can bring that fear to the forefront of the humans' minds, then we can force change! They will understand that they are not above us! The only thing that our ancestors had that we lack today is the will to fight! Who will join me?" He raised a fist in the air. "Who will fight for our people, for the Faunus?"

A hollow silence followed his words. Adam's smile wavered. Soon, Faunus after Faunus turned away, refusing to look at him. Adam's arm and face fell, his hands extending, almost begging as he was met with back after back. His shoulders slumped.

"Adam." Tangris called him quietly. Adam lethargically turned around to find the ram holding a bowl of soup out to him. He sat dejectedly and began to eat. Tangris laid a large hand on his shoulder.

"Why?" Adam muttered. "Why didn't they say anything?"

"It's easy to fight if you're forced." Tangris sighed. "It's harder to fight if you don't think you can. I know you can see the strength in them, Adam, but they can't see it. They don't see any success. They don't see any way to win."

Adam ate in silence for a moment, finishing the thin broth. "Then they need to be shown it."

* * *

Adam kept his ears open as he stayed low at his bench. The hammer and chisel in his hand worked carefully. He heard the overseer moving behind him and began to tense. He switched to his largest chisel, the one he'd been scraping rocks along for the past week to refine its shape. As the overseer passed him, Adam reached down to his belt for the strip of white cloth hidden there, a scrap of a torn uniform. It was thick enough to hide what was behind it, slitted to allow it to be seen through. He tied it across his eyes, then picked up the rock he'd been working on. He threw the rock to his left and the white Dust crystal burst, creating a small whirlwind that whipped around clothes and dirt. The overseer began shouting, and the guards ran to deal with it.

Adam grabbed his chisel and moved quickly, breaking from the line and rushing up to a small box set into the wall. He set the chisel at the edge and pulled hard.

"Hey, over there, in the mask! Stop!"

One of the guards had spotted him. Adam reached into his pocket for the second Dust crystal. He threw it and returned to pushing, hearing the undulating cry of the guard as he was electrocuted. The lock on the box broke and the door popped open. More guards were coming for him now. Adam buried the sharpened chisel in the box, wrenching it around as the mine suddenly went dark. His eyes adjusted to the darkness immediately, but he knew the humans would still be blind for a while. Adam ripped his mask off, dropping it as he moved back to his workstation. He heard the overseer and guards shouting in panic as they tried to gather their bearings, quickly abandoning the search for the saboteur in favor of reaching an exit. Adam concealed his smile as they ran by him, not bothering to look at any of their animals. Soon, a siren sounded and red lights flashed.

"Return to your quarters." The loudspeaker called. "Return to your quarters."

Adam turned with the rest of the Faunus to leave the mine as they filed out. "End of the work day." Adam whispered to Tangris. Tangris's face was unreadable as he patted Adam's shoulder. As they passed the broken machine, Adam smiled to himself.

Someone had picked up his mask.

* * *

Later that night, Adam woke to a tap on his shoulder. He propped himself on an elbow, recognizing the small touch was clearly not Tangris's large, heavy hand. He turned to look to the side of his bunk. A girl was squatting there, looking at him. Despite the dark, Adam could clearly see the outline of the girl's small frame and wavy hair, as well as the feline ears that twitched above it. She glanced around nervously, then pressed something into his hand. He recognized it as cloth. His mask. He smiled at the girl and sat up, as she tied her own mask around her head.

"What's your name?" Adam asked her.

"Selena." The girl whispered.

"Adam. Are you sure you want to put on this mask, Selena?"

Selena nodded. "We can be strong. You showed me that. The older ones have given up. I haven't."

"This will be dangerous." Adam warned. "People will get hurt. Are you willing to endure that for our people?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitation in Selena's voice. For the first time, Adam realized that he was speaking to someone that felt the same as him. Because of him. Adam tied his mask on as well. "We will free our people Selena. We'll fight for them together. We'll fight for the Faunus."

* * *

Author's Note:

The first scene in this story is one that we never saw and that I always thought was critical. It was how he got the brand and what was the catalyst that made Adam into what we saw him as. The poetry just sort of came about as a result of me slowing down, the way I described my dad motivating me to. I'm proud of it. Hope to hear what you all think.

So we all know that every name in RWBY is a pun on something. See Adam Taurus, the bull Faunus. With that said, I did similarly with this story, both to keep myself from having to be really creative with naming as well as in-universe consistency. Almost every name that is not a canon character will be explained in the notes here. For chapter 1:

Tangris- Derived from Tanngrisnir, one of the goats who pulls Thor's chariot in Norse mythology

Selena- Since she's a cat Faunus, the name comes from DC Comics' Selena Kyle, Catwoman


	2. Chapter 2: The Rise of Taurus

"Alright, here's what we know." Selena was carving the small map into the floor beside Adam's cot. "The Dust refinery train leaves tomorrow at half past noon. There's also an SDC board member showing up on the other end of the facility, so the majority of the guards should be there."

Tangris looked around the circle of Faunus surrounding the sketch. The cause had grown, and some twenty Faunus now gathered for their biggest operation yet. He could sense the apprehension and the excitement in the air. This was far beyond pickpocketing guards or breaking some machinery.

"Our route is going to be up this mineshaft here in the ore transporter. Gretel and Lyca will set off a Dust shipment in the next shaft over. That should draw the remaining guards away, meaning that we'll have a clear shot. From the top, we go through this door, jump on the train, and ride it straight out. We're going to be miles away before they can even get anyone after us." Selena stood and stepped backwards to look around the circle.

"What about Gretel and Lyca?" A finned man asked. "How are they getting out?"

Selena's confident smile wavered. "They...they aren't." She admitted. Nervous whispers permeated the circle, but silenced as Adam stood from his cot like a king rising from his throne, Selena stepping back as he took center stage. Tangris noted the change that had come over Adam in the past few years. It wasn't that his growing following had built his confidence, more that they'd grown concurrently with each other. Puberty hadn't hurt. Adam was almost up to Tangris's chin, his shoulders were proud and broad, his horns were longer and curved back from his mask into a nest of matted red hair. Even his deepened voice seemed more regal, though Tangris remembered how his speeches had suffered from his voice cracking.

"Some of us will not escape." Adam's voice carried a mountain breeze's steady clarity. "Gretel, Lyca, we thank you for giving up your chance to leave this place. The truth is you may not be the only ones. Some of us may not get to the train. Some of us may be caught by the guards. That is the nature of what we do here." He allowed a moment of fidgeting in his followers before he continued. "Still, we have to try. When I recruited each of you, I did not recruit you to escape this mine. This cause is for the Faunus as a whole. If even one of us does escape, then it will be a victory. It will prove the fighting spirit of the Faunus, and word of it will spread. If my actions here could give you all the will to fight, imagine what stories of this act will do for our brethren throughout the world. If we do escape, we can do more. If we do not, then we will still have succeeded in furthering the cause of our people. We are here being presented with a choice: to exist in servitude, or to live for our people."

Tangris could not remember exactly when Adam had become such a speaker. His voice had a magnetic quality, drawing the eyes, ears, and hearts of everyone who heard him. Tangris could see the faces of the others starting to light up again.

"If any of you wish to remove yourselves from this plan, I will not stop you. It takes great strength to do this, strength that we know is rare. You may leave. All I ask is that you keep your masks, be ready to fight for our people in the future. Everyone else, what we do today, we do for all Faunus."

There was clapping and subdued cheering from the assembled Faunus as Adam sat back down. The chattering was now excited, emboldened. Selena stepped back into Adam's space as he gestured her to take it.

"With that said, we're done here. Be ready tomorrow." Selena raised her fist. "For the Faunus!"

"For the Faunus!" The group echoed. They left smiling, talking, the hope more visible than it had been in years. Tangris lagged behind, approaching Adam as the room cleared. Adam was talking to Selena, giving her final words of encouragement for the morning's mission. He clapped her shoulder encouragingly and looked up at Tangris as she left.

"Tomorrow, Tangris." Adam said, pulling off his mask. He held it in his palm as though trying to find some vision in the cloth. He either found one or gave up as he set it aside to tie a scrap over his left eye. "Tomorrow we strike our first true blow for the Faunus."

"It's good to see them like this. You've brought a lot of hope to these people. Do you think it'll last through tomorrow?"

Adam twitched. "What are you talking about, Tangris?"

"These people aren't fighters, Adam. Some of them haven't left these mines in years. Do you really think they can escape?"

"We only need one." Adam insisted. "Just one, just to be a statement. To inspire the people."

"That one is going to be you." Tangris said definitively. "You know I promised your parents I'd take care of you. I will get you on that train tomorrow. If that means I have to stay here to do it, I will."

"What?" Adam's regal air evaporated in surprise. "Why would you do that, Tangris?"

"Any Faunus getting out will be a statement, Adam. But if we want that Faunus to accomplish more, if we really want people to be inspired, that has to be you. Look what you've done here, Adam. Look at what you've brought to our cause. Tomorrow, take that train. Find Menagerie. Find the White Fang. Teach our people what they can do."

"I will. And you'll be there with me, Tangris." Adam smiled up at him. "Just like you've always been."

* * *

Every Faunus could sense the tension in the air. Adam watched the clock, ticking towards noon. He was ready to move, and he needed to be ready to move fast. Selena was beside him, Tangris on the other side, Gretel and Lyca already on their way to their diversion. He heard the alarm go off and looked beside him to Selena. She nodded to him and tied her mask on as Adam did the same. Adam ran for the mineshaft, his allies beside him, seeing other masked Faunus joining them as they broke from the lines of workers to rush forward. Two guards raised their weapons as the rush of Faunus grew close. Adam drew the hidden baton from his sleeve and quickly disarmed one guard, while Tangris simply lowered his head and charged into the other. As Adam's strike disabled his opponent, Tangris's horns rammed the other into the wall, knocking him out.

"To the surface!" Adam declared, eliciting a cheer as his group loaded into the ore transporter. The elevator moved up steadily, providing a strange moment of stillness. Tangris looked around. Some seemed to be shaking with fear, some almost baring their teeth. Adam at the front stood tall and proud, the pillar of the Faunus cause, literally rising from the mine. Selena was crouched beside him, her small improvised knife in her hand. The door opened, and the group were greeted by a small party of stricken guards. Adam raised his baton.

"FOR THE FAUNUS!" Adam shouted, the call echoed by his followers as he lead the charge out of the elevator, rushing the guards as they swarmed forward. Adam fought off two simultaneously while Selena pounced on another and flipped him onto the ground. Tangris hefted and smashed one against a wall, noting the guard's weapon. This was a rifle. The surface was definitely better protected.

Adam never slowed, grabbing a rifle as he ran for the door to the train platform, hearing alarms blaring across the complex. His grip tightened on his baton as he slammed the door button. The train was right through here, they were so close. The door opened to gunfire and he dove through to hide behind a crate. Those weren't guards. They were robots, with guns for arms, firing on the Faunus. Selena rolled through, finding her own cover on the other side. Tangris shrugged off a hit to the shoulder and took a place next to Adam. Adam could see the train ahead of them. He turned and saw bodies clogging the door as Faunus fell, trapped between guard reinforcements and the hail of bullets. No one else was getting through. He heard a high-pitched whistle and Tangris peeked out.

"That whistle! Adam!" Selena cried. "The train, it's leaving!"

"If we wait any longer, it's going to leave without us." Adam felt his confidence cracking. They couldn't fail now, they'd come so close.

"Then get on it." The mountainous tone of Tangris's voice sent a chill up Adam's spine. He turned as Tangris moved.

"Tangris, no!"

Tangris was already running, bellowing as he charged towards the Atlesian Knights. Bullets ripped into him but failed to halt his rush, tackling the robots to the ground. "GO!" He roared.

Adam made eye contact with Selena and they both sprinted to the train, leaping on as it began to roll out of the station.

"Tangris, hurry up!" Adam called back as the train sped up. His voice died as he saw Tangris. The man's thick red beard seemed to be running down his body as he fell to his knees. His arms raised and his voice rang out.

"For the Faunus!" Tangris cried. "For Adam Taurus!" He grew smaller and smaller, but Adam could still see his body fall.

"Taaaaaannnnnngriiiiiisssssss!" Adam screamed at the receding station. He panted on his hands and knees as the train got up to speed, whipping them past trees and rivers.

"Adam." Selena put a hand on his shoulder. "We made it. Your story will spread and others will rise up."

"Our story." Adam corrected after a long minute. "The story of all Faunus. It begins here." His head leaned back, looking up at blue and white. He knew he'd seen the sky before, but how many years had it been since then? He and Selena both turned towards the front of the train at a sound overhead, seeing an Atlesian airship descending. Two figures fell from the craft before it pulled away, in a sort of light armor.

"Huntsmen." Adam muttered.

"You mean they're real?" Selena gasped. "I only ever heard stories…"

"Employees of the Schnee Dust Company," one huntsman called, "you are under arrest for assault, destruction of company property, and violation of your employment contract. Drop your weapons and get on your knees with your hands behind your heads!"

Adam rose steadily, the regal stance tempered with barely controlled rage. "We would rather die on our feet than live on our knees." He raised his baton and rifle, Selena readying her knife beside him. The huntsmen drew their weapons.

"I have the one on the right." Selena muttered, dashing ahead as Adam strode forward steadily. He broke into a run and opened fire as they closed with the huntsmen. Selena slid around the club of the one, while the other evaded Adam's shots and raised his sword. Adam swung at the huntsman, pitting his rage and speed against the huntsman's training and blade. This wasn't some company thug, this was a warrior. The adrenaline of that knowledge only made him faster. Adam kept moving, seeing Selena out of the corner of his eye dancing around the other huntsman. He returned his full attention to the one in front of him, landing a few solid hits with his baton before the sword cut the pole in half, taking a bite out of Adam's shoulder and tearing his sleeve away. Adam barely felt the pain, just kept fighting. He grabbed the huntsman's arm, grappling for the handle of the sword. The huntsman pulled and Adam refused to let go. A kick almost knocked him away, and he grabbed the huntsman's belt to stabilize himself. His footing steadied as the huntsman's failed, leaving his belt and sword in Adam's hands as he toppled off the train. Adam froze, watching the tracks where the man had fallen. He came back to himself and quickly turned as he heard Selena shouting his name.

"You damn animals!" The other huntsman shouted, kicking Selena in the back, driving her to her knees. He held Selena by the hair, her mask hanging off her face and her arm bent at an odd angle.

"Adam..." Selena reached for him, desperation in her eyes and voice. "Help me…"

"You should all just be put down!" The huntsman shoved her forward and swung his club into her temple with a hollow crack. Selena fell and didn't move.

"BASTARD!" Adam roared, charging at the man with his new sword raised high. He dodged a strike and jabbed the huntsman with his sheath, managing to land a cut while his opponent was off-balance. The blade seemed to simply skid off the huntsman's skin. The huntsman grinned and grabbed Adam's shirt before smashing his forehead into Adam's own. Adam staggered and the club swung into him, knocking him back with his heels skidding on metal. Adam slid to a stop and renewed his assault. The huntsman swung at him again, the club expanding and releasing a burst of flame. Adam held the sword to block and the fire splashed against the blade, singing his skin and igniting his clothing. He sheathed the glowing blade, trying to keep the heat away from his body. His eye started to rise and fell on Selena's body. His rage built higher, a red light crackling across his body, the fire within him dwarfing the heat of the fire without. He felt a rising tension in his muscles as his hair glowed like lava.

"No way…" The huntsman marvelled. "You creatures can use aura?"

Adam wasn't listening. His whole mind was focused on the next slash, his entire being brimming with energy and rage. His vision went red as he exploded forward. He delivered the final blow, slicing through club, armor, aura, flesh, and bone in a single motion as the sword flashed out of the sheath and back like a bolt of lightning, the echo of his roar the thunder that followed. The huntsman's face froze in shock as the halves fell off the train. Adam watched the man fall, unable to move. There was blood on his mask, on his shirt. The blood of someone he'd killed. He pulled off his mask and stared at the stains across the white fabric. His hand shook as he looked at it, unable to close his fingers as it fell to be swept away by the wind. His mind ran back to a night so many years ago. Selena handing him that mask. _Selena_.

Adam ran over and dropped the sword, pulling Selena to him. "Selena, Selena!" He panted as he turned her over and lifted her to him. He pressed his ear to her chest and heard nothing. "Selena…" He hugged her close and lifted her into his arms, carrying her down into the train car between the Dust containers. They were all dead. Tangris, Selena, all of his allies, all of his friends, they all died following him. Adam held Selena to him and cried until he couldn't.

* * *

Adam woke with a start as the train jerked to a stop. He got to his feet and moved Selena's body behind him, taking the mask from around her neck. He bound the mask around his face and put his hand on his sword. The door creaked and Adam drew the sword, holding it in front of him. The door slid open and he saw a pair of pointed ears through the blinding light. A Faunus woman with tiger-striped arms approached him, swinging a chain at her side. Adam released a shaken exhale, putting his sword back in the sheath. Losing the sudden energy to fight forced him to his knees.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?"

Adam didn't even know where to begin. How could he express what had just happened? How could he describe the loss of someone like Tangris, knowing that the surety of the great ram was gone? How could he explain the fact that he'd killed two men? How could he explain watching robots cut down his only friends? How could he explain the past few hours that he'd spent cradling the body of the one person he thought would make it out with him? How could he explain what had pushed him to risk and lose everything he had?

Actually, he had an answer for the last one. He pulled off his mask. He heard the woman gasp. She crept closer and inspected his face. As she did, Adam looked up at her, absorbing very little besides the red gem in her forehead.

"You'll be alright." The woman pulled him into her arms, Adam's scattered thoughts remembering that this was supposed to be comforting. He wondered what the word meant. "My name's Sienna, I'm part of the White Fang."

"White Fang…" Adam repeated. "He said to find you…"

She backed up slightly. "Let's get you out of here first." Sienna reached towards Selena and Adam caught her hand immediately. He tied Selena's mask back on his face.

"I'll take her." Adam turned to lift Selena into his arms and headed for the door. She wasn't hard to pick up, but she felt so heavy in his arms.

"What happened to her?" Sienna asked.

"She died for us." Adam replied. "For the Faunus."

* * *

Author's Note:

First off, shout-outs!

Thank you to **dis-track-mas** for the follow and favorite of the story! It's great to get this kind of encouragement on the first chapter!

Thank you to **JennaLovely** for the follow and favorite of me! I always get so honored when people do this.

Chapter 2: Cementing tragedy!

This is still more of my look into how Adam became the Adam that we know. Next chapter will catch up to his character short, though I'm moving some things around a bit (I think, the timeline is really unclear). This is also the first use of something I will be using again, moving the perspective from Adam's eyes to the people around him. Since I get so deep into Adam's mind in this story, I thought it would be good to look at how he's viewed, since the symbol of Adam Taurus is as important as the man.

I've also rewritten Adam's semblance, basing it on what he's shown doing instead of what's told to us. I have a mini-essay on semblances and the use or misuse of them if anyone's interested. It will develop over time, but it starts here. Next upload will be Tuesday.


	3. Chapter 3: Bared Fangs

Adam's sword flashed in the broken sunlight, whistling through the air as he cut at the surrounding trunks. He sheathed Wilt as he spun and kicked behind him. He fired the blade out, running forward and catching it as he kicked off the tree it hit, slicing twice in his backflip and firing Blush before he landed, quickly sheathing again. He focused on his semblance, the red wash returning to the world as he allowed the tension to build in him before releasing it like a cannon blast with a heavy slash. The tree across from him slid and fell to the ground with a crash. Adam sheathed Wilt as the world's colors returned to normal and the fatigue of his strike hit him. The crash of the tree behind his target falling as well made him jump slightly, then smirk. He tucked Wilt and Blush back into his belt, satisfied with both his impact and his recovery. He used to almost fall over with an attack like that, not to mention the fact that he'd fully pierced both trees. Sienna had been right about his power growing as he used it. It was like a new muscle to him, one that was quickly growing stronger.

Adam tugged his mask off and breathed, raising his gaze to the canopy and closing his eyes. The sunlight filtering through the trees warmed his face. He'd been training almost nonstop to fight, to refine his weapons, to sharpen his instincts. It felt good to take a moment away, to feel the sun on his eyelids, just clear his mind in a way he usually couldn't. He heard someone approaching and quickly tied his mask back on.

"You should go easier on those trees." Sienna called. Adam inclined his head as she approached. "How's the new kit?"

"I'm getting used to it." Adam's hand rested on the sheath, noting the smirk tugging at the corners of Sienna's mouth. He felt a similar sensation on his own face and adjusted his stance to face her in a shallow crouch. His hand hovered just over Wilt's grip. "Go."

Sienna's face split into a grin. She scooped a fistfull of small rocks off the ground and chucked them at Adam. Adam drew Wilt, his aura quickly tracking the approach of each pebble. He cut at each one in turn, stepping back to keep them in front of him, knocking the whole pack away in the span of a breath. He sheathed Wilt sharply.

"You've definitely gotten better at that." Sienna grinned as she stood.

Adam straightened, exhaling the tension from his body. "My aura too, just like you said. I can feel myself getting stronger. I'm ready to fight for the Faunus."

"You will, Adam." Sienna reassured him. "The fight is coming. But for now, we need you back in the present. We're breaking camp and heading out. I'm in the third truck, I want you with me."

"Yes, ma'am." Adam turned to follow Sienna back through the trees to where the White Fang was breaking down their camp. Adam hopped into the cab of the truck with Sienna.

"Alright, listen up!" Ghira Belladonna's voice came from the head of the column. "We're moving out! Stay close, keep up, we'll be stopping in Cernunnos around nightfall. Lead vehicle, roll out!"

The line of trucks all started to move forward. Adam kept his eyes out the window, watching the terrain run by him as he subconsciously thumbed Wilt in and out of its sheath. His mind began to wander back to thoughts of swords and trains until Sienna elbowed him. "What's on your mind, Adam?"

"Sorry." Adam shook his head to clear the old thoughts away. "Just a few bad memories. Back before you found me."

"You really don't like to talk about it, do you? Have you even taken that mask off since then?"

"Yes."

"Has anyone been there when you do?"

Adam had a feeling she already knew the answer, so he didn't supply it. Sienna sighed. "You're going to have to get that off your chest eventually, Adam. With someone. I won't force you to do it with me, but it does have to happen."

Adam didn't answer, turning his gaze to his lap. He jerked as the window broke, his hand immediately going to his hilt. Sienna slammed on the brakes. His eye scanned the edge of the trees, seeing the humans standing there, guns and blades brandished.

"Out of the trucks!" Sienna called, kicking her door open. Adam did the same, jumping between the convoy and the humans. He spotted the inbound bullet and fired Wilt into his grip, using the extra momentum to cut the bullet out of the air. He sliced two more as the other Faunus filed out. "Take cover! Get behind the trucks!" He called, backing towards a gap between the vehicles before turning and running back to crouch next to Sienna.

"Bit harder when they're not rocks, huh?" Sienna teased.

Adam allowed a slight smile. "Only a bit."

Sienna grinned back, then grew serious. "Ghira!" She shouted to the front of the column. "What do we do?"

"I'll handle it!" Ghira called. "Keep your weapons down!" He stood and started to call over to the humans.

"Is he serious?" Adam grumbled, his grip tightening on Blush as he heard the cracking of the guns continue. "They're not going to listen to him! If they wanted to talk, they wouldn't be shooting. We have to fight back."

"Let him try…" Sienna replied, though Adam noted her fidgeting with the bladed chain wrapped around her hand.

Ghira fell back behind his truck as he took a bullet to the shoulder. Sienna cursed, looking down at the ground, her ears twitching in that way that meant she was calculating. Adam looked intently at her. They both knew what was needed, the only question was if she'd admit it in front of Ghira. Sienna finally looked up at Adam and met his mask. She nodded. Adam stepped back, then jumped forward. He landed in front of the trucks with his hand on Wilt. His eye scanned the positions of the humans in an instant.

"For the Faunus." Adam whispered.

He ran forward to the first one. The human swung a blade at him and he easily knocked it aside, jumping and kicking at the man's face to fell him. Adam landed and turned quickly, running forward to catch a bullet on the partially-sheathed blade of Wilt. He rolled to the side and jumped, blocking shots from humans on either side before rushing one and pinning them against a tree. He punched the gun out of the human's hand, turning as they fell to cut more bullets out of his way. He swept the legs out from under the other and kicked her up, jumping to smash her into the ground.

He moved to the next, blood rushing in his ears, his every sense hyper-focused. This was what it felt like to fight for others, he realized as he fired Wilt from the sheath, knocking another human down with the ejected pommel before grabbing the weapon in midair and sheathing it as he pushed off the tree to deliver his spinning kick. He spotted the next human out of the corner of his eye, Wilt half-leaping out again to deflect the man's panicked shots. Adam smiled as he noticed the expression on the man's face. "Do you feel that?" Adam whispered to himself as he approached like an inevitable calamity, not letting his blocks interrupt his stride. "That's the fear we all live with." Adam kicked the man in the chest and then planted his boot on the fallen human.

His attention was drawn to his blind spot by a yell. One of them had slipped past him, Adam could hear and then see the man running towards the trucks. Ghira was back there. Fast as he was, Adam couldn't get there in time. He couldn't outrun a bullet. He sheathed Wilt and concentrated, the world turning red as his aura flared. He swung Wilt hard, the slash extending far beyond the reach of his blade and slamming the man against the truck. Adam smelled blood. He straightened, smoothly sheathing Wilt as the other Faunus began to rise from behind the trucks.

"You're all freaks!"

Adam turned to the human's voice as she ran into the woods with a few of her companions. Adam's teeth ground, but he decided not to pursue. The Faunus were safe, he'd done his duty. He couldn't fight humanity on his own.

"Adam, what did you do?" Ghira demanded. Adam's face immediately fell as the leader gestured to the unmoving man in the ever-growing pool of blood. "This is exactly why they think they can treat us like-!"

"Ghira!" Sienna interrupted. "He just saved your life! He's a hero!"

The rest of the White Fang members came over, cheering Adam and clapping him on the back. Adam smiled as words of encouragement and approval washed over him, but he also noticed the silent staring contest between Sienna and Ghira. It finally broke with Ghira clapping his hands together.

"Alright everyone, back on the trucks! We want to reach Cernunnos before dark!"

The Faunus began to mount the trucks again, and Sienna came over as Adam finally released his grip on Wilt's handle. He stared at his right hand, completely still. Sienna touched his shoulder. "You did well, Adam. You alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." Adam replied. "I wasn't injured."

"Good. Let's get going." She turned towards the truck, Adam following hesitantly, still looking at his hand. Sienna climbed in and looked back at him as he stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Adam broke his gaze from his unmoving hand and flexed his fingers as he climbed into the truck. "I just thought it would be harder."

"Fighting humans?"

"No." Adam muttered. "Killing them."

"I suppose it makes sense." Sienna admitted, starting the truck. "You have the strongest impulse towards your people of anyone I've ever known. You're willing to do anything to protect them. It's something I admire in you." Her eyes cast towards the lead vehicle, and her expression soured. "I wish more people would think like you." She sighed. "The rest of the Fang may not admit it, Adam, but this is a war. A war for our own freedom. We can't fight it if we're afraid to fight." She glanced at Adam. "Stick with me, Adam. We'll fight for our people together."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

Adam ducked behind the wall, peeking out to look around the corner. The dark of the night and his jacket would hide him from the humans' dim sight. The Faunus were being rounded up by the uniformed humans, forced into lines on their knees. Adam faltered as he saw Tangris for a moment, then blinked the vision out of his eye. His teeth ground as he turned back to the small group of White Fang members hiding behind the building.

"We need to help them." Adam insisted.

"He's right." Sienna declared, unwinding her chain.

"Are you two crazy?" Another Faunus exclaimed. "Ghira told us specifically not to fight! Come on, the Schnee guards are distracted, we can get to the truck and get out of here."

"You're not getting out of here without these, Rodentia." Sienna sang, jingling the truck keys. "Those humans are abducting Faunus. We need to free them! All of you, get ready to fight!"

"No." Adam said sharply.

Sienna turned to him, anger and surprise competing to dominate her expression. "What did you just say?"

"That isn't fair, Sienna." Adam insisted. "You're asking them to die for the cause. That takes strength, strength that you can't expect from everyone. You can't force them to do it if they aren't ready." Adam turned to the group. "Anyone who's ready to fight, stay with me. Everyone else, go with Sienna to the truck and warm up the engine. Give us fifteen minutes to free our people and drive the humans off. After that, you leave."

Sienna took a silent moment, her ears flicking again before she looked up at Adam. "I'm coming with you."

"You can't, Sienna. If we fail, you need to be there to protect the White Fang. Besides, you need to make it back so you can help our people continue the fight. They need your leadership, whether they know it or not."

Sienna smiled at him, wrapping her chain back around her wrist. "Maybe I'm not the only one." She looked at the group. "Who's going with Adam?" Two Faunus raised their hands. Sienna nodded. "Got it. The rest of you, follow me. Good luck, Adam." She turned and ran to the edge of the town, the other Faunus following her. Adam turned to the two still in front of him, a slim girl and a muscular older man.

"I need to know two things." Adam said slowly. "Your names, and why you're fighting beside me."

"Ilia." Patches of the slim girl's skin changed from tan to pink as she attracted Adam's attention. She looked down, then looked back up to Adam. "I'm fighting for my parents." She looked almost fragile, but there was a definite resilience in her gaze, and something deeper, a look that took Adam back and made him acutely aware of whose mask he was wearing. He'd inspired this girl. Adam turned to the man.

"Balica." He responded, holding Adam's gaze steadily. The man had a build like a Beowolf, and a gruff voice to match. Dark hair complimented the curling tattoos on his arm. "I'm fighting to stop the Schnees."

Adam extended an arm and put a hand on each of their shoulders, finding he had to scoot closer to reach Balica's. "Whatever brought you to this fight, however this ends, tonight you are both heroes of the Faunus. Fight hard, don't hold back. Strike for all Faunus."

The other two nodded and joined Adam as he stood. He walked out from behind the building with the pair flanking him. Adam put his hand on Wilt and approached the light of the humans' vehicles. "Ilia." He said over his shoulder. "Stay out of sight, pick off the ones on the sides."

"Yes, sir." Ilia's skin darkened to the color of the shadows and she vanished into the building beside them, grabbing the metallic whip from her belt. Adam looked to Balica. "Do you have any weapons?"

"Not like yours." Balica said. He flexed his hands and claws extended from his fingertips. "But they've never let me down."

The first human noticed them and started shouting, raising his rifle towards them. Adam's jaw set. "Stay behind me until we get close, I'll handle the bullets."

"Understood."

Adam's stride extended, turning into a run. Balica moved behind him, going down onto all fours and moving forward in pounces. Adam's thumb pushed Wilt out, the red of the blade shining as he entered the light. His weapon flickered to the sides, making sure to cover Balica's wider frame as well as his own as he cut bullets out of the air. He broke into the open area of the town square and ran to the first human, resheathing Wilt rapidly.

"Balica!" He cried as he fired the sword into the human's face. Balica catapulted over him with a roar to tackle the stunned man to the ground, claws digging through the uniform. Adam stepped up and pushed off Balica's shoulder to jump into the air and kick his blade into the next man's shoulder. He spun Blush as he landed and fired at the guard to his left as he ran forward to extract Wilt. He swung the blade to clear the blood off it, then cut down two more bullets before the rifleman fell, twitching. Adam sheathed Wilt and saw the shadow of Ilia behind the man for a second before she hopped away. He heard Balica roaring and saw a human fly into two more, knocking the whole group to the ground before leaping onto them. Adam moved forward at a low run towards the next guard. The human dodged Adam's first strike, hopping back and drawing a blade. He swung it at Adam and Adam parried, sheathing Wilt and slipping the scabbard into his right hand. He drew in his left to cut at the human's feet, reversing his blade in an upwards slash, countering the man's swing as he snapped Blush behind his back and fired into the man's chest. Adam tossed both his weapons in the air, switching their hands and sheathing his blade. Balica ran past him towards a group of fleeing humans, aura shrugging off their panicked fire.

Adam turned to the last human still holding his ground. The officer raised a giant rifle and leveled it at Adam. Adam charged and fired Blush, but his shots were intercepted by some sort of energy field. The rifle began to glow brightly, then fired a massive beam of energy at Adam. Adam dove to the side, coming back up into his combat stance. He snapped Wilt out and back in a quick trio of blinding slashes that failed to pierce the barrier, then jumped and half-drew in the air, the impact of the beam hurling him backwards. His feet dug into the dirt as he slid to a stop, then rolled out of the way of the next blast as the building behind him exploded. He saw a form fall to the ground, turning green for a moment before fading to a dim tan color. The officer charged his weapon again as Ilia struggled to rise, her eyes coming up to find Adam standing tall in front of her. He set his heel and thumbed the top of Wilt into the open. The cannon fired and Adam half-drew the blade, letting the weapon take the full force of the beam as his muscles screamed to hold him in place. It took an interminable second for the beam to fade, and Adam rammed Wilt back into its sheath. He felt his rage grow as the world turned red, something about taking the energy beam seeming to supercharge him. Ilia looked up at Adam in his stable crouch, glowing like a bonfire and radiating power. He shot forward at the speed of thought and his slash obliterated the man and the weapon together in a wave of red energy that scattered to the wind. Adam sheathed Wilt sharply and stumbled, letting his knee support him. He panted for a few seconds. Then he rose again, his long-lost regal stance returning to him. He turned back to the square.

Balica busied himself with freeing the townspeople, and Adam returned to Ilia. He knelt beside her. She seemed burned, a few patches of skin not changing color smoothly with the rest, but she smiled at him as he helped her to her feet. She thanked him breathlessly, her patches turning pink. Adam just nodded. They turned to the rabbit-eared Faunus that approached them.

"You saved us. The whole dang village. Who are you?"

"We're part of the White Fang." Adam replied. "We just happened to be passing through."

"Lucky, that, I guess. Town's safe thanks to you. You fought for us, and I figure that should get you some sort of thanks. You're welcome to stay the rest of the night if you like? We got beds, food, fires, all warm."

"We shouldn't." Adam said. "We have comrades expecting us."

"Right, right, 'course you do. I won't ask to see your face…mask and everything kind of gives that "mystery warrior" vibe…but could we at least know your name if you're going to fight for us?"

Adam hesitated a moment, then smiled. "It's Adam. Adam Taurus. And I'm proud to fight for the Faunus."

The man walked back to spread the word about Adam as Balica rejoined Adam and Ilia. "Well done, sir. Your skill is considerable." Balica retracted his claws and extended a hand. "It was an honor to fight beside you."

Adam smiled and clasped his hand. "I hope it will not be the last time. You fought admirably," he turned to look at Ilia's hung head, "both of you." Ilia looked up, eyes widening. "Today's victory does not belong to me. It belongs to the two of you as well, and all Faunus. Now let's not keep Sienna waiting."

The other two joined him as they jogged out of town towards the waiting truck.

* * *

Author's Note:

Shout-outs!

Thanks to **JcL107** for following the story! Glad to have you with us!

Happy New Year, readers. This story has been getting really well received and I'm really happy. Chapter 3 sort of brings us up to canon events. You may recognize the truck scene from Adam's character short. The town scene is establishing people for later, along with Adam discovering a new part of his semblance. I'm shuffling a bit of who knew who (including the Saber Rodentia cameo), but I don't think it's completely out of the question that Ilia and Adam knew each other before Volume 4. For new characters,

Balica- part of the Latin name of the Bali tiger

Cernunnos- Celtic god of the wild

Balica is not exactly an OC. He is a character in the show, just an extremely small part that I've expanded to help tell Adam's story. Hopefully you like how I handle him.

Think that's it. Again, thanks for reading and have a happy new year. Next chapter on Thursday.


	4. Chapter 4: Beauty and the Bull

Blake Belladonna crept downstairs towards the voices as they travelled from the front door towards the office. One was her father's, the other a man she didn't recognize.

"High Leader Belladonna, I'm very grateful for your hospitality." There was a pause in the man's voice. He was probably drinking. Mother always insisted on making their guests tea. "But I must admit, I'm a bit confused by it. Why did you bring me here?"

"There's no need to be so formal, Adam." Her father replied. "Tell me, what do you think of Menagerie?"

Adam? Adam Taurus?! Blake had to hold back a squeal. Adam Taurus was a legend, and he was here in Menagerie, in her own house! She risked a peek around the corner of the staircase as she reached it, then slipped to the next wall and looked through the doorway to her father's office. There he was. He looked like a castle keep, tall, slender, powerful, and noble, clad in a jacket the color of threatening clouds with an intricate red and white pattern on the back. She could see the white edges of his mask by his ears, under a tangle of disorganized crimson hair. It was the only part of him that seemed out of control, the only factor that made her sure that she was seeing him in the flesh, not just the tales that floated around Menagerie. Adam Taurus was in her house!

Adam sighed, rising to his feet and walking towards the balcony window. Blake could see Wilt and Blush in his hand, the weapons almost as legendary as Adam himself. She ducked back as he scanned the twinkling stars above the palms. "It's beautiful, Ghira. He told me to find it. Tangris, I mean. He always looked out for me."

"I knew him."

"You did?" There was excitement in Adam's voice, though the name meant nothing to Blake. He paused a moment before continuing. "He took care of me for as long as I knew him. He told me to find two things, the White Fang and Menagerie. The White Fang so I could continue the fight for our people. But Menagerie, I think it was so I could see what we were really fighting for. A safe home for all Faunus."

Adam lived up to every story she'd heard about him. Something about his voice, the cadence of his words, the bare emotion behind them, it almost made Blake want to walk in to hear it more clearly. Instead, she settled for pressing closer to the wall.

"I'm thankful that the Faunus have this." Adam sighed. "But I hate that we need it."

"That, at least, we agree on." She heard the scuff of her father's chair against the floor as he stood and walked over to Adam. "That's why the White Fang exists, so that Faunus can have Menagerie without it being their only option. We need to unite to make it so. One people, one voice, one will."

There was a short pause, then Adam spoke again, some minute change in his tone that Blake couldn't place. "What am I really doing here, Ghira?"

Ghira sighed, walking back behind his desk and sitting again. "I wanted to talk to you about Sienna Khan."

"What about her?"

"I'm starting to get concerned that she's out of control. She's becoming more and more disobedient, more and more violent. And perhaps most concerning, she's growing in popularity. The White Fang is an organization of peace, and I'm worried that her actions will spur on divisions within the movement. I need you to talk her down. You're her most trusted lieutenant, she'll listen to you if you tell her to fall in line."

Adam was silent for a moment. When he finally responded, his voice had tightened. "Respectfully, sir, I will not do that."

Ghira paused, and Blake could perfectly envision him looking over the rim of his reading glasses at Adam, then taking the spectacles off and placing them to the side. "And why not, Adam?"

"Because I agree with Sienna. Humans understand violence above all else. They listen when we make them hurt and afraid. They respect our kind when they see we can fight back."

"Adam, fighting back is what lead to the current state of the Faunus."

"No, Ghira, the current state of the Faunus came from them running and being hunted and accepting any deal to end the slaughter. Menagerie, this place, came from the Faunus's will to fight."

"In history, yes, that may have been true, but these are different times, Adam! They call for a different approach, a peaceful approach."

"But they don't!" Adam insisted. "Humanity hasn't changed! You can protest and boycott all you like, it doesn't change anything!"

"Adam-"

"I wasn't finished!" Adam shouted, and Blake felt some part of her stomach drop to her legs. "You can boycott a business that refuses to serve Faunus, but that will not make them take down that sign! You know what makes them take down that sign? It's when the next store over that has one is found with its windows smashed and stock ransacked. You know what makes a human think twice about beating a Faunus in the street? It's the stories of Faunus that fight, that defeat guards, that defeat huntsmen. They hold back because of the fear that the actions of Sienna Khan and others in the White Fang inspire. We have seen better results in the past six months than you've achieved in the past four years. People follow Sienna's lead because that is what works, that is what helps the Faunus!"

"I admire your zeal, but we will never win equality if this is how we seek it! This violence is animalistic, Adam!"

"But it's not! It's not just violence, it's war. And war is overwhelmingly human. That's why they listen now. Sienna is doing what is right for the Faunus. I am doing what is right for the Faunus, and I always will. You will not change my mind on this, Ghira, and you cannot order me to stop." Blake heard the squeak of a boot as Adam turned on his heel.

"You will obey!" Ghira insisted, rising from his chair. "I am High Leader of the White Fang!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be if you lack the resolve to do what's needed for our people!" Adam roared back. Ghira growled and Adam's sword made a slithering sound. Blake held her breath. She imagined a struck match tossed into the room would vaporize the house. A tense moment passed in silence before she heard the click of the weapon sheathing.

The footfalls grew louder and Blake shrank back from the doorway as Adam stormed through the foyer, wrenching the front doors open to pause on the steps. Blake glanced back into her father's office, watching him rest his elbows on the desk to rub wearily at his temples. She crept towards the front doors, staying behind them as she watched Adam pace. She'd never thought the expression "blowing off steam" would apply so well. Adam looked like cooling embers, his hair steadily darkening as its dim glow faded, concurrent with his loosening death grip on Wilt. He stood still and tilted his head back, his mask aiming to the shattered moon for a moment before lowering.

"Well? What do you think of it?"

Blake's heart was in her throat immediately as she looked around for anyone else. Then Adam turned to look directly at her, giving her her first head-on view of the mask that had inspired so many others. Pale white, slotted at the eyes, decorated with curls of red.

"Yes, you." Adam beckoned to her to come out. "You heard the whole thing, didn't you? What do you think about it?"

Blake stepped out of the shadows and crept forward carefully, torn between avoiding his gaze and wanting to drink in his presence. "How did you know I was there?"

"I have sharp ears." A half smile crossed Adam's face. "Though maybe not as sharp as yours."

"I've heard about you." Blake's mouth was open now and nothing was going to stop it. "I've heard about your fighting and power, and, and about the Dust raids and how you fought off all those robots and how you're not afraid of anything and your mask and your voice, it's exactly like I'd imagined it well not exactly but it's still so amazing and your dedication to the cause of the Faunus!"

Adam lost his struggle to keep a straight face and gave a short laugh. The shock gave Blake enough self-control to clamp her hand over her mouth. Adam shook his head and motioned to Blake to join him as he sat down on the steps, resting his left hand on his sheathed weapon like a kingly scepter. Blake sat beside him, pulling her knees into her chest.

"Well, you've certainly heard of me." Adam chuckled. "Why haven't I heard of you? You're Ghira's daughter?"

"Blake. Blake Belladonna."

"Right, he's mentioned you before." He gestured with his sheathed weapon. "You've grown up with all of this. What's your view on it? Which of us do you think is right?"

"I-I don't want to sound like I'm going against my father…" Blake murmured.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him if you do."

Blake blushed slightly, looking down. "I do think that the Faunus need to rise up. I'm just not sure what the right way to do it is. My father has always said that it's protest, activism, showing humans that the Faunus are every bit as civilized as they are. At the same time, I'm not sure that's the problem. I don't think they believe we're uncivilized, I think it's more that they just don't care. They put us down because it's easy to, and the only way to stop that is by making it harder for them."

Adam nodded slowly. "How old are you, Blake?"

"Fifteen." Blake replied sheepishly. She had a sudden impulse to ask him the same question, but decided against it.

"You know a lot for someone your age." Adam's comment made something inside Blake feel very warm. "How do we do it, then? How do we make it harder for them?"

"Father says it's conscience. If we can make humans see us as the same as them, then their conscience won't let them do the things to us that they do."

"Do you agree with him?"

"I do." Blake tucked a few stray hairs out of her face. "I think it can definitely work, if we give it time."

"How much time?" Adam's tone didn't invite an answer. Blake could tell she wasn't the first to use those words with him. "How long is it going to take for the humans to change their minds? How long is it going to take for them to see past their profits and prejudices to treat us as we deserve? How many of our people have to suffer and die while we 'give it time?' How do we face the memories of those we've lost, explain to them that 'giving it time' is the reason they haven't been given justice?"

Adam's voice had grown harsher, and Blake stared at her knees. She couldn't find an answer. She desperately wanted one, for Adam as much as herself. Adam exhaled hard.

"There is another way. A way to make every human stop and question themselves before they move against a Faunus. Fear. If we show them that the Faunus are not docile, that we can and will fight, they will fear us. Humans will not dare to mistreat a Faunus if there are consequences to the act."

Blake thought over Adam's words. "But would that bring equality?"

"Fear breeds respect. Respect breeds power. The humans have power over us because we used to fear them, because we still fear them. If we flip that, if we force the fear back on them, then we become the masters, and we can use that to make a better world for everyone!"

Blake felt herself leaning forward as Adam spoke, his words kindling a fire inside her that was smothered almost immediately. "But I can't." She said dejectedly, drawing back into a ball. "I'm not strong enough, not like you. I can't fight like you."

Adam's hand touched her chin and raised her eyes to look at his face. "The skill of my sword doesn't make me strong." Adam was practically whispering to her. Her heart fluttered. "Anyone can learn to fight. Strength isn't the ability to fight, it's the will. Any weakling will fight for their own safety when attacked. I will cast aside my safety to fight for our people. That is what makes me strong." He lowered his hand. "And I can see the spark of that strength in you too."

Blake's face turned the color of Adam's hair and she looked away quickly. Adam smiled and stood up, popping Wilt and Blush into his hand. "Come, stand up." Blake obeyed, following him to the bottom of the stone steps. "Put your hands up." Adam demonstrated, raising a fist. Blake copied him, and he gently pushed them into position and turned her shoulders. "Elbows in. Keep your hands high, but make sure they don't block your eyes." He walked around Blake and she felt his sheath prodding at her legs. "Spread your feet farther, keep yourself lower to the ground."

"What are we doing, Adam?" Blake asked as she adjusted her stance to his direction.

"You're learning how to fight." Adam said, drawing a smile from Blake. "This is the basic part, stance and strength. Everyone starts from here, and you can always fall back on it. Let's switch this up a bit." He drew Wilt and handed it to Blake. She took the long blade unsteadily as Adam flipped Blush around and stood opposite her, the combat stance seeming so much more comfortable on him. "Attack me."

"What?" Blake almost dropped the sword. "Adam, I can't just…"

"You can. If I'm right about your strength, you can. Don't worry about me." He began walking around her, Blake raising the sword and pivoting to track with him. "The most important thing to become a warrior is your mindset. Remain calm, keep your senses sharp. Smell, touch, hearing, aura. It's possible to fight with one eye shut at all times." He knocked Blush against his sword and Blake jumped. "Keep your head, be ready for anything. Stay focused on your opponent." He tapped the sword again before stepping back and raising the scabbard as though it were his blade. "Give it a shot."

Blake nodded, steeling her nerves and trying to keep the sword in her hands from shaking as she raised it and brought it down towards Adam. He barely moved as he stepped out of the way, and Blake almost fell over. She stumbled, catching herself and turning to him, raising the sword again. "Sorry, Adam." She mumbled.

"Don't think of me as Adam. Focus on the mask. It's designed to look like a Grimm. It's supposed to inspire fear, to embody the monster humanity sees Faunus as. Just think of me as an opponent. Try again."

Blake nodded, but she couldn't fully separate the man in front of her from Adam in her mind. She swung the weapon harder, feeling it bite into the scabbard a bit. The reverberations of the strike shook up her arm before she pulled it back and swung again. Adam again moved the scabbard to perfectly deflect her strike. He was barely even trying, and the knowledge made Blake feel safer. She struck again, tracking Adam as he danced out of the way, knocking away her thrust with a turn, finishing the backspin with another perfect parry like he was reading her mind. His motion stopped as he leaned away from her next strike and jabbed the scabbard back at her. Blake dropped the sword in surprise, instinctively leaving a shadow to take Adam's strike as she leapt backwards. Adam froze for a second as Blake seemed to dissolve under his strike. He looked around before turning to the sound of her feet as she landed.

"You've unlocked your semblance?" Adam marvelled.

Blake nodded. "I can make shadows. Copies, to take the hits for me while I get out of the way." She drew her arms around herself sheepishly. "It's nothing special."

"It's incredibly special. But it does cement one thing for me." He kicked the fallen sword, knocking it spinning into the air before almost nonchalantly catching it in Blush. "This is not a good weapon for you."

"What do you mean?" Blake walked back over.

"My style of fighting is a lot like my semblance." Adam explained. "It's very direct, very deliberate. Wilt works perfectly for that." He drew the blade and extended it, turning it in his hand to look down the spine and flat of the blade. "I designed it specially to compliment my style. It's long, strong, steady. Every movement and strike has to be executed with unwavering intent." He swung it to the side in a clearly practiced motion that ejected a thin cloud of dust. He swirled it in a spiral around his hand and sheathed the blade. "You should find a weapon for yourself that fits your style, clones and all. Probably one with more range than mine, so you can attack while you dodge with your clones."

Blake nodded slowly. "Do you think… you could help me make it? Help me become a better fighter?"

Adam smiled sadly. "I wish that I could, but I shouldn't stay." He glanced back towards the house. "I don't think your father is going to change his mind." He shook his head. "Besides, I shouldn't keep my team waiting any longer. We've been planning a Dust raid in Vale for weeks. Next boat out of Menagerie, tonight if I can."

"Well, I could come with you?"

Adam chuckled, turning towards the road. "I doubt Ghira would give you permission to vanish into the night with a masked man. Especially one with my reputation."

Adam was right, of course. The prospect of having that conversation with her father was almost as discouraging as his inevitable refusal. There was no way to win that argument.

"I wasn't planning on asking." Blake mumbled.

Adam stopped walking, half turning back to her. When he finally spoke, it was over his shoulder. "How long will it take you to pack?"

Blake grinned. "I'll be right back!" She dashed back into the house to change, quickly scooped her shelf of favorite books into a bag and threw it onto her back before running back out to Adam. He returned his Scroll to his pocket and glanced behind her at the contents spilling out of the bag.

"Sorry." Blake said, shoving the books into a more stable arrangement before zipping the bag closed. "I'm ready to go." Adam looked her over and she fidgeted under his gaze. "What?"

"Nothing. Old memories." He turned towards the path. "Let's get moving. I have a boat lined up at the southeast docks on the other end of the market."

Blake jogged to catch up with him, slowing to a quick walk to keep pace with Adam's long strides. He led the way through the streets, looking around him at the cramped buildings and market stalls. "It seems pretty quiet. Isn't the nocturnal district supposed to be near here?"

"North side of the city." Blake corrected.

"Right." Adam said. "You seem to know your way around Kuo Kuana."

"Well, I've lived here all my life. The layout can't have changed too much since you left?"

"I've never been here before today."

"Really? Where's your family live? Where did you grow up?"

Adam paused. "I was born in a Dust mine. A Faunus named Tangris took care of me after my parents died."

Blake stopped walking, looking back at where Adam was standing, staring at the boardwalk slats. Something in Adam's voice hit her harder than the words. There was pain behind it, deep-seated pain. He seemed to return to himself after a moment. "Let's keep moving." He walked forward in silence for a while, keeping his eyes down. Blake couldn't bring herself to start a conversation. "Sorry about that." Adam spoke without looking at her as they turned a corner. "I haven't talked about that time in my life for a long while. You remind me of someone I knew back then."

"Really?" Blake asked. "Can you tell me about them?"

"Not tonight, Blake." Adam slowly shook his head, turning to the dock where a boar-tusked Faunus was waiting by a small boat. Adam passed the man a Lien chip and stepped into the boat, removing his weapon from his belt and leaning on it as he sat. Blake sat down across from him as the boat's motor started. Adam remained quiet, and Blake couldn't tell if he was looking at her or not. He finally moved when his Scroll chimed to answer it.

"Taurus." He waited while the other person talked. "Good. Get Ilia on it, she'll be able to provide some closer reconnaissance. I'm on my way back right now. Should hit the coast in about…" Adam looked up at the boat's captain, who held up four fingers. "Four hours." Another pause. "Roger that, Balica, looking forward to regrouping." Balica asked some sort of question. "No, no real progress with him. But not a complete waste of time either. Get a mask ready, I'm bringing in a new recruit." Adam finally looked up at Blake. He smiled. "She's a little raw, but she has a lot of potential." He waited while Balica spoke. "I don't know, I think she might surprise you." Blake looked down to hide her blush, and Adam chuckled. "Then we'll have to see, won't we? Be with you soon. Taurus out."

"You didn't have to say all that about me." Blake said sheepishly.

"It was all true." Adam pocketed his scroll. "I think we'll go far together, Blake."

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry this chapter is up so late. Excuse, excuse, it doesn't really matter.

Chapter 4! Adam as the legend. Firstly, I will say, I will _not_ be having Blake and Adam in a romantic relationship in this story. They will be close, but they're not going to be a couple. Blake was a good lens to look at how the world sees Adam. I don't think she's necessarily attracted to him, she's more starstruck. I'm pretty proud of this chapter overall.

No new names in this one, no new shout-outs, but we have passed 150 views so that makes me happy! I'll have the next chapter out Sunday.


	5. Chapter 5: Ascendency

Wilt whistled through the air, and both Balica and Blake leapt backwards to avoid the deadly arc. Adam sheathed his blade again, eye flicking between the combatants. One was missing. His aura alerted him and he ducked into a spin, Ilia's whip point almost clipping his shoulder as she dove at him. He finished the spin with a hook kick to knock the girl away. Balica took the opportunity to pounce, and Adam rolled onto his back, catching Balica on his sheath and pushing with his feet to toss the tiger-Faunus over him. Balica crashed to the ground as Adam sprang off it, landing solidly on his feet. Blake was up next, charging him head-on, both blades coming for his face. Even if he was getting up, she knew better than to leave herself wide open like that. Her sloppiness clicked in his mind and he slashed at her, turning to the true angle of attack as the clone faded. He caught her first slice, and then she wasn't there anymore. Blake kept using her clones to slip around Adam, striking from every angle. Adam found himself smiling. She'd improved drastically in the recent weeks, now that she'd finished her weapon. He'd been happy to lend his combat expertise, making sure that Gambol Shroud fit her perfectly. He felt a slight regret of that fact as she flipped out of his range, the ribbon on the weapon flitting around as the blade struck from unusual angles. He evaded and fired Wilt at her, the hilt knocking into Blake's chest as Adam rolled away from Balica's claws. He snatched the falling weapon and turned with a half-draw to intercept Blake's shots, finishing the draw to halt Balica's approach and fire Blush over his shoulder into Ilia as she charged him. The impact made her slip, and she wiped out into Balica's legs, felling the pair. Blake giggled, and Adam rushed her, forcing her to fight in the reach of his weapon, her dual blades still not enough to keep up with his speed. She avoided his attack with another clone, but he could see her aura flicker as she did. She was running low. Adam was brought back to the present as Balica crashed into him, and he found his arm and throat pinned against the wall. Adam sighed and nodded. Balica set him down and bowed.

"Well done. It seems three-on-one is still a little more than I can handle." Adam admitted.

"It remains far more than the rest of us can manage, sir." Balica reminded him. "I imagine you could challenge Miss Khan at this point."

"That's not a question I need answered." Adam shook his head as the other two approached and sat next to Balica. "Alright, notes. How did I do?"

"Your senses are still pinpoint." Ilia grumbled. "I didn't even come close to landing a hit, no matter what direction I tried. Don't know what you want me to say."

"There's always room for improvement, Ilia, especially for me." Adam replied. "You've definitely gotten more creative, but you do need to commit less to the individual strikes. You don't need to throw yourself into every attack. Use your range, and focus on hits landing rather than being powerful. Your Dust will handle the damage." Ilia nodded.

"Balica?"

"Your control slipped at the end. You became distracted, and attempted to compensate by refocusing yourself, but you only refocused on a single target. You failed to keep your mind on all of your opponents, which allowed me to sneak up on you."

"And he is definitely not the one who should be sneaking up on you." Ilia giggled.

"Granted." Adam allowed a momentary smirk. "Balica, you're going to need a weapon."

"My claws serve me well enough."

"Against company guards and Atlesian infantry, yes. But there are bigger threats out there. Grimm, mechs, huntsmen. Every time you strike, you need to be in reach of your opponents. Not only does that limit your range, it forces your aura to be your only defense. You're going to need a way to attack and defend without burning your aura like that."

"I will consider your words." Balica bowed his head.

"You're not really falling for my shadows anymore." Blake said glumly. "I'm mostly using them to just get out of the way at this point."

"That's still a valid use." Adam reminded her. "Your moving around me was good, and the shadows are good as a distraction play even if they aren't fooling anyone. Though if you do want your enemy to fall for your feints, don't make it so obvious that it's a feint. Other than that, your aura ran dry quickly, but we're already doing all we can with that." Adam shrugged and stood, tucking his weapons into his belt. "You're all improving quickly. Thank you for your advice." He was interrupted by his Scroll. Sienna Khan was calling. He gestured with the device. "To be continued. Get some rest." The three left as Adam answered the call. "Taurus."

"Adam, we've gotten a tip about a Dust shipment being moved near your location. Special delivery to an Atlesian military depot, coming by air and stopping to refuel at the Schnee station whose location I sent you. I want your team to hit that target."

"Wouldn't a larger force work better for this?"

"I can't handle this with our general Vale forces, we don't have the ammunition. You know how supplies have been recently, we need that Dust shipment. It's the only way I can arm our fighters."

"Then we should call the other branches for reinforcements. My team's been training all day, it isn't safe for them to be deployed right now."

"Your concern is admirable, Adam, but this is a high-value target. We have a limited time frame for this mission, I need your team on the ground."

"How limited?"

"You're looking at a four-hour window around nightfall."

Adam looked out the safehouse's window. The sky was already beginning to turn orange. "Sienna, I don't like this."

"I know, Adam, but I'm getting desperate here. Ghira is refusing to send us any more Dust, and we can't pull off any smaller raids without ammunition. We've had success recently, and we need to keep our momentum. We need that shipment. I can get the Bullheads in for the pickup, but I need your team to cover them."

Adam sighed, running his hand through his hair and over his horns. He found himself beginning to pace. "If we do deploy - if, Sienna - what resistance would we be facing?"

"We haven't had a chance to do proper reconnaissance. Nothing major, we think. A complement of guards, a dozen, maybe two Knights?"

Adam grunted. "That's dangerously close to major."

"Adam, please don't make me order you. We don't have a choice."

"I know." Adam lowered his head and sighed. "I know. I just hate leading my team in blind. They look to me for guidance, and I hate not being able to give it to them."

"That's part of being a leader, Adam. Sometimes you won't have all the answers, but you have to lead anyway."

"I trust my team." Adam took a slow breath. "We'll get it done. Make sure those Bullheads are ready."

"Thank you, Adam. I know this is hard, and I appreciate you taking this risk for our cause. I'll have your support standing by. For the Faunus."

"For the Faunus. Taurus out." Adam ended the call and pocketed his Scroll. He sighed, pulling his mask off to run his fingers over his eyelids. He hadn't really known what was at the top of that mineshaft either. He cursed his traitorous mind for bringing up those memories. He could see the slack faces, the blood running over the floor. He could see the Atlesian Knights firing, Tangris's raised fists falling with his body. He could see Selena in front of him, her ears tilted in concern. Adam blinked hard to dismiss the vision. Selena's face was replaced with Blake's.

"Your face…" She whispered.

Adam had a sudden burst of realization, quickly turning his back.

"Adam, your-"

"It's nothing." Adam replaced his mask.

"It is not nothing!" Blake ran in front of him, grabbing his arm and pulling it back towards her. Adam resisted at first, then slowly let his arm weaken. He allowed Blake to move the mask off his face and take it from his hand. "Adam…how long have you had this?"

Adam breathed to steady himself. He was exposed without the mask, vulnerable. He opened his eye, looking at Blake's golden eyes staring back at him. For some reason, he didn't mind the feeling. "Seven years." Adam said. "I was thirteen."

"Thirteen." Adam could see her mind racing, trying to overcome her shock. "What happened?"

"Humans." Adam said bitterly. "I was living in a Schnee Dust mine. I stepped out of line one too many times. It was supposed to remind me that I was an animal. I was… property." He could feel the acid as he spoke the word. "Tangris made me my first mask. It was a scrap, just to hide my eye. Then it was to hide my identity. Then it became a symbol, of Faunus with the will to fight. We planned to fight our way out of the mine and hop the train out." His voice started to shake. "Only three of us made it to the platform. Only two of us made it on board. After the huntsmen attacked…" Adam couldn't finish the sentence. His legs trembled, protesting their stillness, but not trusted to support him if he tried to move.

"Adam…"

"I lead those people to their deaths, Blake. They died for the cause, for the Faunus, but they also died for me, and I'm going to carry that my whole life. They never got a chance to fight for our people. So I'll fight hard enough for all of them. I'll make sure to achieve what they died for."

Adam's voice caught as Blake quietly put her hand on his cheek. She looked up at him, a gentle finger tracing the singed line below his left eye. "We can take care of ourselves, Adam. Ilia, Balica, and I, we're with you, here and now. We know that you won't lead us wrong. We know that you care more about the Faunus than anyone else. And we'll fight beside you as long as we can." Blake removed her hand from his face and placed the mask in Adam's hand. "We'll fight for the Faunus."

"For the Faunus." Adam repeated. He allowed himself a breath as he put the mask back on. "Thank you, Blake." He hesitated. "Do you think you could still fight tonight?"

"I suppose. You want another spar?"

"I wish that was all it was. Get the others, meet me at the truck. That call was Sienna. We have a mission to complete."

* * *

"One or two dozen." Adam growled to himself as he pulled Wilt out of a Knight and rammed it into his sheath. "Try six, Sienna." He shook his head and tapped his earpiece. "Taurus. Status."

"We're loading up the Bullheads." Ilia replied. "Last one is arriving now."

"Good, keep up the pace. This has already been more than we bargained for, and I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to."

"Yeah, I'm with you." He heard Ilia's sigh lengthen into a yawn. "I need some sleep."

"I know. I'm sorry for running you all so hard."

"It's alright. This is important." Ilia called to someone else. "Okay, they're in view, I'm going to help them load up."

"Understood. Balica, Blake?"

"My aura's almost gone, but we're both okay." Blake panted lightly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. We're almost done here."

"Hmm? That's weird…"

"Ilia? What's wrong?"

"It's probably nothing. I just miscounted."

"Ilia." Adam insisted.

"There's another Bullhead approaching. I thought they were all here already. I'm just tired, Adam, I must have lost count."

A twitch set off in Adam's mind, setting him moving towards the tower. "What's its heading?"

"Coming up from the southwest. They're moving pretty fast."

Adam hopped up to a higher platform and scanned the sky. He spotted the inbound airship, looking closer at its shape. "Balica, Blake, fall back to the truck. Ilia, launch the Bullheads, now. All White Fang members, retreat immediately!"

"Wh-what?" Ilia stammered.

"Take what they've got and launch. Do it now!"

"Adam, what's the matter?" Blake asked.

"That's not one of our Bullheads. That one's Atlesian." Adam leapt off the platform and ran for the truck parked at the facility's entrance. He turned as he reached it, motioning Blake and Balica to hurry as the roar of the approaching airship grew. A single form dropped from the ship, drawing a curved saber.

"Huntress…Ilia, drive!" Adam growled. He saw masked figures moving around her as the truck started to move. His hand flew to his ear. "Mako, what are you doing? I told you to get out of there!"

"It's just one woman, Taurus!" Mako called.

"One _huntress_! You're out of your league Mako, fall back!"

"We can take her!"

The woman flew at the approaching White Fang members, cutting through them with almost no resistance. Adam cursed. Balica moved next to him, watching as the huntress summoned some sort of hologram behind her. It glowed red, and a spout of flame forced the White Fang members to dive for cover.

"Winter…" Balica suddenly said.

"What?"

"That semblance, the glyphs, are the hereditary semblance of the Schnee family. That woman, sir, she must be Winter Schnee." Balica moved forward and Adam caught his arm.

"Balica, what are you doing?"

"The Schnees are the worst type of human, sir. I joined to stop them, to hurt them. This is the best way to strike at the heart of the enemy." Balica looked ahead of him. "To kill a Schnee."

"Balica, no!"

Balica didn't listen, jumping off the truck to land on all fours. "For the Faunus!" Balica roared, pouncing toward Winter.

"Balica!" Adam shouted. "Ilia, turn this thing around!"

"Make up your mind, Adam!" Ilia called from the driver's seat.

"I am not leaving him behind!"

Balica had climbed the side of the building and charged Winter. He swiped at her wildly, trying to find some purchase with his claws, knocking away the slashes of her saber. Winter remained in calm form as Adam jumped from the back of the truck. Winter evaded another strike, and her sword seemed to double as she stepped past Balica, leaving one in his chest. The Faunus growled in pain, then fell as the sword was removed.

"NOOOOOO!" Adam screamed. He launched himself up to the platform as Winter raised her blades. She reacted in time to intercept Adam's strike. He pressed the attack, pushing her back, forcing her away.

"Blake, Ilia, get up here and grab Balica!"

He focused back on Winter as she rushed him in return. Her right saber met Wilt's half-draw and she slid back from the shockwave. Adam threw two draw slashes at her and she leapt into the air to dodge. He adjusted his angle for the easy third slash before a glyph appeared at her feet and she rocketed towards him. The finishing blow became a desperate parry, knocking her to the side as Adam kept moving towards the other end of the platform. He had to lead her away from Balica. Winter was on him in a second, blades whistling as she cut at Adam's defenses. Adam gritted his teeth as he evaded another glyph's fireball. Her bladework was precise, and lightning fast. Her glyphs only made her more of a threat, increasing her speed and offense. Even at his best, she would have been a challenge.

The problem was, Adam was not at his best. He dove to his left as the glyph under him exploded into a bed of icicle spikes. Winter rocketed toward him again and he fired Blush, same as he had with Ilia that afternoon. It stopped the charge, but Winter was not Ilia, turning the impact into a backflip, landing on another glyph that restored her momentum. Her blades crashed into him and he slid back. He could feel his fatigue in the strain of his muscles and fog of his senses. He couldn't even find the time to resheathe and reset under Winter's constant assault. He was on the defensive, had been since the very beginning. Don't fight to win, he told himself as he evaded a spear of ice to meet Winter's guard. We just need time. He just needed to buy time for his team. Winter's sword whistled too close and his aura crackled. Hopefully not too much time.

"Adam, we're all on board! Come on!" Blake's voice sounded in his ear.

A fine plan, but he needed to disengage first, and Winter was giving him no space to do so. She batted his shots away and flew by him, landing a shallow hit that his aura absorbed when his blade wasn't fast enough. Adam was slowing down, the day's training and night's battle taking their inevitable toll. His mind was still at full speed thanks to his adrenaline, picking out opportunities and threats, but his sluggish sword arm could barely execute half of them. His team needed him. They were behind him.

Suddenly, one of Adam's planned strikes met Winter's aura. Adam watched in surprise as the shadowy copy that had landed the slash took position in front of him, vanishing into him as he made his next strike. Winter was only stunned for a second longer than Adam, and jumped forward to renew her attack. Adam grinned, quickly mapping his next series of strikes. This time, two of the shadowy doubles came from him, one executing the double slash, the other making a skyward cut, then both slipping to the same position that Adam reached with his heavy stab. The final strike pierced Winter's defenses and knocked her backwards. Adam sheathed Wilt and gave it a second to power up before releasing his slash at Winter, blowing her further across the platform. It was all Adam needed. He vaulted the railing, landing awkwardly in the truck bed next to Blake and Balica. Ilia slammed on the gas and they drove away.

Adam panted, looking at Balica propped against the wall with Blake standing over him. "Is he...?"

"It will take more than that to kill me, sir." Balica gave a wry smile, attempting to sit up while Blake pressed harder on the reddening gauze. "I think you may have had a point with that weapon suggestion."

"Adam." Blake said. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Adam waved her off as his breathing began to steady. "It's been a long day."

"What you just did, those shadows, are they part of your semblance?"

"Guess they are. Never done that before."

"Sir, I must apologize. I disobeyed your orders to further my own personal goals. I lost sight of our mission, put myself in danger, and forced you into danger to protect me." Balica lowered his head in shame. "I am sorry."

"It's alright, Balica. We look out for each other." Adam stood shakily, laying a hand on the man's huge shoulder. Balica added his on top. "The Schnees will pay for everything they've done to our kind. I know you want to make them pay." Adam looked back up, seeing Winter as a point of white against the blackness of the building and the night. He could have sworn she was looking back at him. "And I have a feeling you'll get your chance."

* * *

Adam woke up to the chime of his Scroll. He shook the misty strands of sleep from his mind as he sat up and answered. "Taurus."

"Adam, I wanted to congratulate you on your work last night."

"Sienna."

"The operation was a huge success, our forces are resupplied, and a lot of our people credit your leadership."

"A lot of them also died under that leadership." Adam reminded her gravely. "We were completely unprepared for what they threw at us."

"I know." Sienna paused. "Their sacrifices will not be forgotten."

"You took a huge risk with that operation. You gambled the cause, my team-"

"I bet on you and it was a good bet. You always have been. And besides, is that any way to speak to your High Leader?"

Adam's mind ground to a halt. "High Leader?"

Sienna laughed. "How long have you been asleep, Adam?"

"Not long enough." Adam checked his scroll display and snorted. "Though ten hours really should be."

"Ghira Belladonna stepped down as High Leader of the White Fang today. He's yielded the position to me. The Faunus have seen the work we're doing, the results that our approach has produced. They've lost faith in Ghira's passivity. We can operate openly now, fight freely for the cause."

"High Leader Khan, that's fantastic!" Adam exclaimed.

"Sienna will still be fine, as long as we're not in public." He could hear the smile in her voice. "You're in no small part to thank for this, Adam. A lot of why the people believe in me is because of the successes of your operations. With that in mind, I'm naming you Captain of the Vale branch of the White Fang."

"I'm…honored, Sienna."

"I'm sure you remember the way back to my Vale headquarters. They're yours now. Settle in, pick your missions, pick your targets. You're your own commander now. I'll contact you for updates in the future."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sienna must have heard the hesitation in his voice. "You've earned this, Adam. You've come a long way since that train. Our people trust you, they follow you. You've proven yourself capable and loyal to the cause. I hope this position will enable you to do more with those qualities."

Adam nodded to himself. "I will not let you down, High Leader."

"I have every confidence that you won't. Dismissed."

"Taurus out." Adam put down his Scroll. He'd known that they were having an impact, but this was a shot of lightning Dust directly into the arm of the White Fang. He had the High Leader's support, the people's support. The Faunus were all behind him, and he would fight for all of them. He got out of bed and put his mask on. A new day was beginning. For the Faunus.

* * *

Author's Note:

Huge shout-out to **dis-track-mas **for the first reviews on the story! Glad you like the dialogue, I can promise you there'll be more going forward. I may need you to clarify which burn on Ghira was your favorite, I think there were a couple.

Mako - a type of shark

Chapter 5 is a bit of an in-between. I think of it as sort of "day in the life" of Adam as a low-level leader in the White Fang. Obviously, now he's not very low-level with his promotion, but he's not really in command yet. Next chapter will do a lot more for that.

Writing combat for Adam I probably should have addressed back in Chapter 3, but I did my best to mix what we've seen from him in the show and trailers and whatever I could come up with. Adam didn't fight a ton of named characters, so I had to get a little creative with what his style is like. I also like this idea of Adam's semblance changing as his role changes. I touch on this more in my mini-essay, but I think Adam's semblance is supposed to be symbolic of who he is. The moonslice being his unstoppable drive, absorbing giant laser beams is his steadiness and unwillingness to compromise, etc. The shadows move I thought had two pieces: the possibility for anyone to become him, and the influence he has on the people around him. I lean into the second one a lot more here. You'll also notice Adam's semblance advances when he's under stress. I just figured that fit.

Adam will lean into his leadership role a bit more going forward, but I will warn everyone that this is his high point. Starting next chapter, it will be clear why.

I'm not asking if you like Adam Taurus. I'm asking when you stop.

Tuesday: Chapter 6 - Burning Bridges


	6. Chapter 6: Burning Bridges

"Sir, we have an incoming call."

Adam kept looking over the map of Vale on the wall of the command tent. The last two months' raids had been almost flawless, and Sienna's support had enabled them to take on larger targets with less risk. He checked his Scroll, trying to place the reconnaissance report for their next target of opportunity on the map. "Why not just answer it, Balica?"

"It is not a White Fang communication."

Adam turned around. No one outside the organization should have his frequency. It wasn't like he had a long list of casual acquaintances. He collapsed his Scroll and nodded to Balica. "I'll handle it. Project the call."

Balica nodded, and tapped the Scroll in his hand as Adam walked over to the central table. Balica placed the Scroll on the table and the hologram appeared over it.

"Taurus." Adam said automatically before pausing, his mask concealing his raised eyebrow. "Chieftain Belladonna."

"Captain Taurus." Ghira was clearly keeping himself in check. "You seem… well."

"I am. I admit I'm more than a little surprised that you're calling me. This was rare even when you were High Leader."

"Yes, well…you are a Branch Captain now…" Ghira looked around nervously. Adam could imagine Kali out of view, gesturing encouragingly. "I don't want to impose on your work, Adam."

"Ghira." Adam sighed. "I had always hoped that the change in leadership of the White Fang wouldn't drive our people farther apart. I still want what's best for the Faunus, just as I know you do. You can ask me whatever you need."

"It's… my daughter. Blake." Adam's eyebrow rose closer to the top of his mask as Ghira continued. "She just up and disappeared one night. Kali and I have been trying to get in touch with her for months, but we haven't been able to reach her. I heard that she's been working with you, and I'd hoped…" Ghira trailed off.

Adam could tell how hard this was. Ghira clearly wasn't comfortable getting other people involved in his family's affairs, and the fact that it was Adam was certainly not making it any easier. Ghira had probably put it together that she'd "disappeared" the night of his visit, but Adam wondered if he knew that she'd left in the same boat. He considered telling Ghira, if only to see the reaction, but dismissed the action as needlessly cruel.

"I'm sure we can make that happen." Adam nodded to Balica, who put on his mask to leave the tent. Adam saw Ghira twitch at seeing the mask. Balica's wasn't the same as Adam's, nor was it the standard blank half-face that most members wore. Balica had designed it himself, a plate that covered his whole face. He'd adopted Adam's red markings to make it even more Grimm-like.

Adam caught his arm. "Don't mention who it is." He whispered. Balica nodded.

"While you're here, Adam, I wanted to ask you about something." Adam returned his attention to Ghira as he spoke. "Saber Rodentia has been expressing his concerns to me about your tactics."

"And what authority does Saber Rodentia have to question my decisions?" Adam very visibly let his hand rest on Blush.

"Well, he's been promoted to Captain of the Menagerie Guard, and he worries that your growing aggression may lead to attacks here in Menagerie. He asked me to mention it to you."

"Saber Rodentia is a coward, and has been for years." Adam spoke with a surety just this side of condemnation. "No one will so much as touch Menagerie _because _of my aggression. This is what I always said, Ghira. They're too afraid now to even try to strike at the Faunus. Tell me, Chieftain, have there been any incidents that would lend credibility to Captain Rodentia's fears, any at all?"

Ghira was visibly uncomfortable. "Not to my knowledge."

Adam nodded. "As I said, Saber is a coward."

"Adam, I don't think you're being entirely fair-" Ghira cut off. "Blake."

"Dad?" Blake stepped next to Adam. "What are you doing here?"

"Blake, your mother and I want you to come home. We've decided to leave the White Fang, and we wanted you to come with us."

"Is that it?" Blake demanded indignantly. "That is what you went through all of this for? To tell me to stop fighting for our people!"

"No, we're not asking you to give up the cause, just come home and we can help you take a less… confrontational approach."

"No!" Blake cried. "I'm not abandoning this fight because you think it's going too far! You raised me to fight for equality, you've pushed it since I was old enough to hold a protest sign! And now that I can fight properly, you're saying to give it up?"

"Blake, that's not what we're-"

"I'm not a child anymore, I'm not like you, I'm strong! I can fight for the Faunus! I trust Adam to lead us, to lead the Faunus to victory. At least he's not a coward!" Blake turned and stormed out of the tent. Adam watched her leave, Balica catching his eye from the doorway. He approached and whispered to Adam.

"Carrie's returned to the camp. She and her team are unloading now. They… suffered losses on their mission."

Adam nodded and turned back to the projection. Ghira sighed. "Adam, do you think you could…?" He motioned after Blake.

"I will not try to talk your daughter out of doing what she feels to be right, and you shouldn't either. If anything, you should be proud of her. She's chosen to continue the fight you've abandoned."

"She's still a child, Adam."

"So was I, Ghira." Adam said bitterly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a war waiting for me. Give my regards to Saber Rodentia." He cut the communication and left the command tent. He found Blake just outside. She was standing stock-still, staring at the treeline and fighting back tears. Adam approached and tapped her arm, which made Blake jump.

"Are you okay, Blake?"

"I'm fine." Blake wiped at her eye.

Adam waited, but she didn't elaborate. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the Faunus unloading one of the trucks. Carrie's team. "I need to go. If you want to talk later, you know where to find me." Blake nodded and he left, replacing his regal air as he walked over.

Carrie noticed him and saluted as he approached. "Captain Taurus." One of her antlers was half the length, ending in a jagged break.

"At ease, Carrie." Adam said. "I'm glad to see you made it back. Balica said not everyone did."

Carrie hung her head. "Clyde, Basil, and Petrel. We lost them to Grimm. They were all over the place."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Adam lowered his head momentarily. "Give the names to Balica later so he can contact their families. We'll all remember them for their courage and sacrifice." He turned back towards the command tent. "Come, give me your report so I can let you go and rest."

Carrie followed him into the tent. "We found Mountain Glenn. The city's a complete wreck, and it's swarming with Grimm. I mean, we all know that's nothing to your team, but it makes reconnaissance pretty hard for the rest of us."

"It's still good to know." Adam nodded. He'd been working on an idea recently that could definitely benefit from knowing where to find Grimm. "Anywhere in the city we could put to good use?"

"Well, nowhere _in _the city…"

Adam turned around to see the grin he'd heard in Carrie's voice. "What do you mean?"

"We found a cave system underneath the place. It's practically clear compared to the surface. The area's huge, almost its own town. Could be a full staging area. We saw some sort of train tracks in there. Didn't get a chance to see where they lead."

"That has potential." Adam agreed. "Did you find any way in besides moving through a Grimm-infested city?"

Carrie winced. "We… didn't think to look for one." She admitted. "I can take my people back out there and-"

"No, Carrie." Adam waved her down. "I said I'd let you rest and I stand by that. We have other ways of finding information. If it turns out we need to send another team, I'll make sure to let you know in case you want another crack."

"Yes, sir." Carrie nodded.

"Thank you for your work, Carrie. Go get some sleep."

She saluted and left the tent. Adam turned to the map of Remnant. He'd been saving the pin labelled "Mountain Glenn" since he'd sent Carrie on her mission. He felt himself smiling as he pinned it to its exact position. A city full of Grimm, an underground staging area. It seemed perfect. They could move on all of Vale with that kind of positioning. He turned his attention to the map of Vale on the table. If Mountain Glenn was to the southeast, the closest part of the city would be the agricultural and residential districts. There was potential there, but that also put them fairly close to Beacon. He wanted to avoid the huntsman academy if possible, there were a lot of powerful warriors there. He looked up as he heard someone hesitate at the entrance flap.

"Blake…"

Blake picked at the flap, looking around uncomfortably. "Can we… can we talk? Outside the camp?"

"Of course." Adam walked with her out of the tent and into the forest. The sun was setting, painting the already vibrant colors of Forever Fall forest as a tapestry of golden light and dim shadow. They walked in silence for a while, until Adam finally spoke.

"That couldn't have been easy."

"No, it wasn't." Blake sighed, turning to him with her arms wrapped around herself. "Everything I said before, I believe it. But some of it… some things I'm not as sure about as others."

"What do you mean?"

"Adam, how many humans have you killed?"

"I don't know exactly." Adam admitted. "Maybe...fifteen?"

"You used to know. You knew the exact number back when we met." Blake reminded him. "Have you forgotten, or did you stop keeping track?"

"What's this about, Blake?"

"That man you killed yesterday."

"Blake, it was an accident, I told you. I didn't know that my strike would detonate the Dust."

"Did you care, Adam? This isn't the first time this has happened."

"I know, Blake." Adam sighed heavily. "I know. I don't enjoy doing it, but this is a war. Every time we enter an engagement, their goal is to kill us. If we're going to defend ourselves, if I'm going to defend the rest of you, I can't hold back." Adam slid his mask off. "That day on the train, I learned that it's easier to live with killing your enemies than losing your friends. You know what it did to me to lose teammates when I couldn't do anything. If I lost you, or Ilia, or Balica, and knew I could have done more to protect you…" Adam took a heavy breath that shook on its way out. "I'm not sure I'd be able to live with myself."

Blake watched him for a minute. Eventually, she stepped forward and took his mask from him. "You told me this mask was supposed to represent the monsters that humanity saw us as." She stepped forward to slip the mask back on his face. "Don't let what's on the mask replace what's under it."

"I won't." Adam nodded. "Thank you. For checking on me. I don't think I could with anyone else."

"Thank you too." Blake pushed her hair out of her face. "I know that you're really busy running the Vale branch. I appreciate you making time for me."

"Anytime, Blake. You just have to ask." Adam put his hand on her shoulder. He waited there a moment. "We should head back."

"Right." Blake agreed. She followed him back into the camp.

* * *

"Sir, are you entirely sure this is a good idea?"

"No, Balica, I'm not." Adam sighed, fidgeting with Wilt. "We've had success recently with our raids, but we're not going to achieve anything major at our current pace. We need a game-changer." He looked down at the message readout on the Scroll in front of him.

"But still, sir, working with… humans?"

"I said I'd hear them out, Balica, not that I'd work with them. Don't misunderstand, I do not trust them." His Scroll chimed. "Speaking of which." He answered the call. "Ilia, report."

"I have eyes on." Ilia replied. "Three of them. One woman, two kids, a boy and a girl. They're armed, and on their way towards the camp."

"Copy, Ilia. Stay on them, make sure they aren't being followed." He turned to Balica. "Go bring them in. The second they get within sight of the camp, I want you escorting them here."

Balica nodded, grabbing his chainsaw from the side of the tent and hefting it over his shoulder as he left. Adam nodded to Perry and Holland, who both moved to follow their Lieutenant. Adam calmed himself and waited. These humans had come to him with an offer for a "business partnership" as they'd called it. They were unknowns, not on the White Fang's radar at all. He wondered what they could want.

When Balica returned, he had the three humans with him. He, Perry, and Holland spread out around the command tent, and Adam noted how his comrades kept their hands tight on their weapons. Balica simply crossed his arms, the stance somehow conveying the same message without his chainsaw.

Adam turned his attention to the humans. The woman in the front was dark haired, with a red dress and a pair of blades across her back. She carried herself with an air of confidence and an easy smile that definitely did not reflect the fact that she was surrounded by an army of Faunus. The two children knelt behind her, and Adam looked them over. The girl was wearing a green chestpiece, and Adam could see the gun handles behind her hips. She had lime green hair and a look directed at the woman that Adam recognized. Inspiration and fear. That expression greeted him often when the White Fang members removed their masks. Whatever their relationship was, this girl's loyalty to the woman was unquestioned. The gray-clad boy didn't have the same look of admiration, and was easily wearing more clothing than the other two combined. He had the mix of bodily tension and ease that showed him to be a fighter, but appeared unarmed, which was practically a neon sign warning of concealed weaponry. Either his gauntlets or his boots, Adam guessed, probably the boots. Adam looked at Balica and tapped his sheath against his leg gently. Balica nodded in agreement.

"Captain Adam Taurus." The woman spoke with a smooth voice that concealed a general outward menace. She hid it well, but Adam was not new to such approaches. "My name is Cinder Fall. I'm honored that you agreed to meet with me."

Meet with _me_. The children were definitely subordinates, and not her children, though the second point was fairly obvious. "The White Fang is not accustomed to working with humans. You've gone to great lengths to arrange this meeting, so don't waste my time on pleasantries."

"Straight to the point, I like it." Cinder's smile didn't even twitch. "We're preparing for a small operation in the coming weeks. As with all conflicts, our first step has been to gather allies."

"What makes you think this meeting will gain you allies?" As much as this woman admired his bluntness, she clearly did not share the quality. Adam wished this woman would stop spinning her elaborate sentences and get to the point.

"I have an associate in Vale. Considering your recent raids, I know that you have a need for Dust, something I'm sure he would be able to help you acquire. In return, we simply require numbers. Our current organization is a bit sparse, shall we say. The White Fang has the numbers and power we need to handle any… obstacles in our path."

So they needed soldiers. Likely expendable soldiers. Adam felt his jaw tighten. "Let me be sure I understand. You could have gone to any gang leader, or fallen huntsman, or mercenary captain, but instead you came to me."

"Your skills, your ability to lead those under you, your tactical aptitudes. You're an exceptionally valuable man, Adam. We've put a lot of thought into-"

"Then you're clearly not thinking straight!" Adam interrupted. He noticed the children tensing, and Balica did too. Adam made sure Wilt and Blush were in view as he spoke. "The White Fang is not an organization for hire, and my loyalty is not for sale."

Cinder showed no discomfort at Adam's interruption. "Tell me, Adam, what do you think of the current world order?"

Balica had clearly had enough, stepping forward and clenching his fists. "You dare patronize-"

"_Lieutenant_." Adam's voice was as sharp and quick as Wilt. Balica stopped in his tracks and stepped back, lowering his head before retaking his on-guard stance. Adam looked back at Cinder. "Get to your point."

"My associate and I are planning a small revolution of our own. We believe that it will be beneficial to all involved, but we need your forces. We need-"

"What you need is to leave." Adam growled. "Consider your offer refused."

"Captain Taurus," Cinder began.

"This operation of yours would risk the deaths of many of my people."

"Captain Taurus, these would not be the first losses your organization has suffered. You are aware that soldiers die in war."

"I am well aware of that." Adam said tightly. "More so than you may realize. I carry the deaths of many comrades on my shoulders, Cinder Fall, people who died under my command. The only reason I can accept that weight is because I know that they gave their lives for the cause, a cause that they believed in. You are asking my men to die for your cause. A human cause. That is not a concept I am willing to entertain."

"Captain-"

Adam grabbed Wilt's grip. "Leave."

Cinder paused. "Very well." She bowed, and the children rose with her as they left the tent without another word.

Balica finally broke his stance and motioned to the other two guards. "Make sure they leave the perimeter." The pair nodded and followed the humans. Balica turned to Adam, who was still watching the trio walk away. "Sir?"

"I have a bad feeling about those three." Adam mused. "Do you think I made the right decision?"

"You said yourself, sir, it is a human cause, and one that we are better off not getting involved with." Balica opened his Scroll. "We have our own affairs to consider. You still plan on executing the train raid? The last one came very close to being catastrophic."

"We hadn't anticipated the degree to which their security would be heightened in light of our past operations. It was an oversight, one that put our brothers in a situation they were underprepared for. I don't plan on doing that again. I'll handle this one personally, both to complete the mission and to give us a better idea of what to expect in the future. I'm leaving you in command here."

"Sir, I would prefer to accompany you. I do not doubt your prowess, but this is not the sort of mission one should take on alone."

"I won't be alone, I'm taking Blake with me. We have too many teams in the field right now to leave them without leadership. I need you to take charge while I'm gone."

"If you're certain, sir."

Both men looked up as Blake entered the command tent. "Were those… humans? What was that about?"

"Nothing." Adam waved off the question and extended his Scroll, pulling up the map of their target area. "Come on, let's review the plan. The train will be here around dawn. Balica, can you check on those demolition charges for us?"

Balica nodded and left as Blake joined Adam.

"We'll be starting on the hill above the tracks, and jumping from there to the train. Remember, it's not going to stop for us, so we're going to have to time it right."

Blake nodded, tapping the map. "Charges go there, there, and there. Are we expecting guards?"

"Not humans. Might be a few workers on the train, but probably not. They're mostly moving military hardware, so we're expecting Knights. Probably a lot of Knights. If we're lucky, they're deactivated, but I wouldn't count on our luck."

"Got it."

"Then we should get moving. We have a train to catch." Adam collapsed his Scroll and left the tent with Blake.

* * *

The explosion sent Adam and Blake flying through the wall of the train car. Adam landed on his face and pushed himself up.

"Thanks for the rescue." Blake rose, still shaken from having almost been stepped on.

"Anytime." Adam groaned as he regained his feet, watching the spider-like robot climb through the hole it had blasted in the previous car. He couldn't even see a scratch from his and Blake's attacks. This thing's armor was ridiculous. "That's no Knight."

"It must be some sort of prototype." Blake called over the wind. "We're not doing any damage."

After a moment's hesitation, Adam rammed Wilt back into its sheath. "Buy me some time!" He grabbed the weapon's hilt and focused on his aura, wondering if he had enough power to break through this thing. He could see Blake ahead of him flitting around the robot, her weapon slicing quickly between her flashing shadows. She jumped back as the robot reconfigured into the cannon mode that had produced the devastating blast from before.

"Move!" Adam stepped in front of her and half-drew Wilt, catching the laser on the blade. He felt his heels slip a bit, but managed to take the whole of the weapon's energy, his aura flaring. He resheathed Wilt and crouched. His semblance turned his view red as the spider robot leapt at him. Its foot was about to crush him when his blade swept from the scabbard. The explosion of force knocked the crates off the bed of the train car, and the spider dissolved into the wind.

Adam sheathed his blade. His whole body hurt. He'd put everything he had into that slash, he was just thankful it had been enough. He turned and ran for the next car, coming to a stop when he saw Blake standing on the other side of the gap between the cars. She was looking down, but looked up and turned to face him as he approached. There was something strange in her expression.

"Blake?" He called over the sound of the train. He couldn't hear what she said, the locomotive was too close and she spoke softly. Adam was close enough to read her lips though.

"Goodbye."

She reached over her shoulder and swung her weapon. The car detached and Adam's car began to grind to a stop. He couldn't move. He'd spent the whole day trying to hold down thoughts of Selena, petrified that he would lose Blake on this train the same way. It was the worst thing he could imagine, almost enough to make him call off the mission. Adam watched Blake shrinking towards the horizon. He had denied his fears, Blake hadn't died.

Somehow, this was so much worse.

Adam was barely aware of the charges going off behind him, the train cars and their cargo thrown in all directions by the explosions. His mind was too occupied to feel the shockwave slamming into him and throwing him into the trees. Then all of his thoughts went silent.

* * *

Adam woke sharply, turned over, and ejected his last meal onto the forest floor. He struggled to place himself, somewhere in space. Red leaves. Forest. Forever Fall Forest. North side of Vale. Contains the White Fang's Vale command center.

Time was next, he reminded himself as he used the tree next to him to support his failing muscles and pull him to his feet. He looked at the angle of the sun. Midday. He'd left early in the morning. For his mission. It was him and Blake.

Blake.

Adam's stomach churned, but he managed to keep the rest of its contents contained as he fell back to the ground. No time for that right now. His legs weren't supporting his weight. He took a quick physical inventory as he sat back against the tree. His aura had taken most of the hit, but he was far from fine. His legs were weak, but moveable. His head was somewhat fuzzy, whether from the impact or the runaway train of his thoughts, he wasn't sure. His ribs were likely bruised, probably not broken. His right shoulder was out of place, dislocated. He braced himself for the pain that would arrive as soon as his shock wore off.

Blake.

He refocused himself on his exam. His left arm was mostly undamaged, though his jacket was shredded in a few places. His hand still held a death grip on Wilt and Blush. It hadn't loosened during the blast, and he couldn't release it now. He gave up trying. He realized that his mask was gone, probably shattered from his impact.

Blake.

The news of his shoulder's condition finally reached his brain and he growled in pain. His aura could start healing it if it was set. With effort, he shifted his body along the tree trunk, ignoring his shoulder's protests as he took a stick from the ground and placed it between his teeth, using his sheath to help lift the hand. He turned his chest slowly, exhaled, then leaned back hard. His shoulder crashed into the bark and he gave a muffled roar, his teeth digging into the stick. Adam kept his focus on the bite, using the tension to keep down his scream. When his breath finally slowed, he spit out the stick and leaned back against the tree.

Blake.

He needed medical attention. He needed to get out of here. He couldn't walk. Balica could help. He could call, if his Scroll had survived. He would need to check his pocket. He reached for it, his vision starting to swim as his right arm protested. The shoulder was in place, but he couldn't move it yet. His tolerance for pain was extensive, not bottomless. He'd have to wait. His aura would heal him quickly, it always did.

Blake.

Adam turned his attention to his left hand, still in a vice grip on Blush. He concentrated, unwinding the tension in his fingers. One by one they loosened, then opened. His hand shook as the weapon fell from his fingers to the ground. He moved his shaking hand to his opposite hip, pushing around to reach into the pocket. He managed to work the rectangular device out of his pocket. It popped open as he laid it on his lap. Adam selected the beacon function and then switched to the call. His contacts greeted him. Balica, Blake, Ghira, Ilia.

Blake.

Adam pushed the thought off and tapped Balica's name. He picked up the Scroll and raised it to his shoulder.

"Balica?" He croaked.

"Adam!" Balica shouted back. "Are you alright? You vanished six hours ago, we thought-"

"Balica." Adam silenced the man's rapid speech. "I need help. I need a pickup, and medical attention."

"Understood, sir. I have your Scroll's signal." Balica was shouting to someone, probably organizing the rescue party. "Are you in danger, sir?"

"I don't think so." Adam looked around him. "I don't see or hear anyone else."

"Is Blake still with you?"

Blake.

Adam's mind screamed for his attention. Forcing it down was like beating back a starved lion. "No."

"I'll organize a team to find her."

"They won't." Adam said shortly. "She doesn't want to be found."

Balica was silent for a moment. "Understood, sir. I will be with you shortly."

"Taurus out." Adam dropped the Scroll from his hand as the call ended.

Balica was coming. He was going to be okay. He could relax. As Adam let the tight leash on his mind slip, the pain of other parts of his body clamored for his attention. Off the leash, it began to fade, his thoughts dissolving. He couldn't think. He couldn't move. Suddenly he was a child again, lying in the dust of a mine, his mind crumbling under the pain. It was different this time. This time he welcomed the emptiness, praying it would help him avoid his thoughts.

Blake.

His final thought screamed out as he denied it and let himself sink into the darkness.

* * *

"Sir? Captain Taurus, can you hear me?"

The familiar voice brought Adam back into himself. His mind awakened more steadily this time, and he looked up to Balica's face looking back. Adam allowed a slight smile. He could see figures moving behind his lieutenant, armed White Fang operatives scanning the trees with rifles.

"Sir, can you tell me your injuries?"

"Head trauma, bruised ribs, injured legs, dislocated right shoulder. Not sure how long I've been out or how much my aura may have healed." He followed the line of Balica's eyes to his left eye. He opened his mouth to explain, but Balica shook his head. The man reached behind him, then leaned forward and set one of Adam's spare masks on his face. Balica replaced his own mask before standing.

"Medical team, stretcher!"

Faunus approached and helped Balica ease Adam onto the stretcher. He paused as they lifted it, closing Adam's hand around Wilt and Blush and placing it on his chest. The soldiers quickly carried Adam into the Bullhead waiting in the nearby clearing. They set him down and Balica climbed in to sit next to him, calling for the patrolling soldiers to board the other Bullhead as the medics examined Adam.

"You have been out of contact for almost thirty minutes since our call. We came to retrieve you immediately. I'll have our men sweep the site for salvageable supplies later."

"Thank you, Balica. I need you to take command while I recover. We need to show strength."

"Of course. Sir, if I can ask…" Balica looked up at him. "Blake. What happened?"

"She ran." Adam sighed. "She abandoned us."

* * *

Author's Note:

Thanks again to **dis-track-mas** for reviewing the story! I didn't think the six months line was really meant to be a burn, it was more a statement of fact (at least, as Adam sees it). As for what Winter is thinking, probably how she's going to explain to her superiors what happened. I don't know Winter as a character well enough to write her thoughts. Besides, she's not the point of this story.

Chapter 6! I'm simultaneously proud and disappointed by this one. I feel like the scene with Cinder is a little dry, and Blake's dialogue with Ghira still bugs me for some reason. But with all that, I'm super proud of his conversations with Carrie and Balica, and his conversation with himself in the end. Adam trying to both use and overcome his shock was great to write.

I realize I started like halfway through the Black Trailer heist, but it was the part I wanted to write. Something that I think the show kind of breezed over (which I used to the fullest) as Blake was moving away and the camera fades to black was that they set bombs on that train. Blake didn't just leave Adam behind, she practically left him to die. Like I said, Chapter 5 was Adam's high point. Now he's on his way down, and it starts right there with Blake leaving. You'll see it more next week.

Also, for those of you who haven't figured it out yet, Balica is the unnamed White Fang Lieutenant in the show. I needed another character for Adam to bounce off of, so rather than make another OC like Tangris, I decided to take one that already existed and had no actual traits and make him more of a character.

Without further ado, name puns!

Carrie comes from caribou

Clyde is short for the horse breed Clydesdale

Petrel is a type of seabird (that I figured was obscure enough I could get away with it)

Basil is short for basilisk, a term used for a lot of lizards

Holland is from Holland Lop rabbits

Perry is actually not a pun, he's called by name by Torchwick in the show, and I'm like 90% certain it's the same guy

Chapter 7 on Thursday!


	7. Chapter 7: Beacon of Fear

"We will find her, sir, I swear on my life." Balica pressed his fist against his chestplate.

"Balica, for the last time, drop it!" Adam demanded. "It doesn't matter!"

"Sir, she deserted! She left you to die in the middle of a mission! We cannot allow such an act to go unanswered!"

"We can and we will!" Adam insisted. He looked down, shaking his head. "We have more important things to do than waste resources tracking down one girl!"

"Then I will do it myself!"

"Balica, let it go, that is an order!" Adam roared as his fist crashed into the table. He checked himself and took a breath, laying his weapon against the table's edge and his palms on top. "I need you here. This cause existed before Blake, and it will continue without her."

Balica's manner calmed in the way that iron cooled. "As you command. But if I may be frank, sir, her desertion has affected your leadership. You are… unsteady. Your control of yourself has lessened. I did not seek her for my own satisfaction, sir, I sought her to bring peace to your mind."

Adam looked down, focusing on evening his breathing. "I know, Balica. Ever since Cernunnos, even before I was officially in command, you have always done whatever you could to help me." He gestured to his mask. "You know that only three people know what's under this? Sienna Khan saw it, when she first found me. Blake, I showed by accident. And you saw it, in the moment that I was most vulnerable. You didn't respond the way they did. You didn't express shock or demand answers, you just put on my mask. You gave me my strength back."

"You have given me no reason to doubt you, sir." Balica approached him. "Your skill, resolve, and leadership are unmatched. You give strength and hope to our people. I am proud to support you, sir, however I can."

"Balica." Adam pushed himself off the table to gently straighten. "You are a strong man, a loyal lieutenant," Adam extended his hand, "and a good friend." The two clasped each other's forearms. "I'm very grateful to have you beside me, and I hope to always be deserving of your faith in me."

"You will always have it, sir." Balica nodded before releasing Adam's hand. "Now, what is our next step?"

Adam returned his attention to the Vale map. "I want to take another look at Mountain Glenn. Did we find the information we were looking for?"

"Not everything, but Tukson came through for us, sir." Balica flicked through his Scroll. "Those tracks that Carrie found are part of an old subway system that leads directly under Vale. Unfortunately, the exit is sealed. After the area was overrun by Grimm, Vale sealed the tunnels."

"Still, it gets us pretty close." Adam agreed. "Maybe if we can find…"

Adam trailed off at the sounds of gunfire and shouting from outside the command tent. He made eye contact with Balica. Balica retrieved his chainsaw and Adam grabbed Wilt, drawing as they ran out through the flap.

"What's going on?" He shouted, then froze. The camp was practically in ruins, smoke coming from several tents and White Fang soldiers laying on the ground. Most were unconscious. Some might have been dead. Adam's teeth gritted as he looked at the woman standing opposite him. Cinder Fall stood in front of him with that damned smile across her face. Those children - Mercury and Emerald, Ilia had discovered - were both on their knees flanking her, holding briefcases. Adam's grip tightened on Wilt, Balica beside him waiting for his move. Adam kept himself in check. Cinder had her weapons out, but she couldn't have decimated the camp that quickly with only those blades. She had something else up her sleeve, and Adam wanted her to show it before he attacked.

"We could have gone to anyone," Cinder sang, "but we chose you, Adam Taurus." She tossed her weapons on the ground. "Our plan will be beneficial for both of us." She raised her hand and a small pool of flame ignited in front of Adam's feet. "Or one of us." The children opened the cases. One was full of Lien chips, the other Dust crystals. "So…" Cinder called. "Which will it be?"

Adam looked up at her. Cinder's arm and eye were glowing, but there was no Dust in sight. Somehow, she was just doing this. He didn't know what this was. He couldn't stop it. He slowly straightened and sheathed Wilt.

"Fine." He gestured to the command tent. "Let's talk."

* * *

Adam sighed as Cinder and her posse left the tent under Balica's watch. The Faunus came back in soon after.

"Status?"

"No casualties from Cinder's assault. Medics are treating the injured."

Adam sighed. "Did I do the right thing, Balica?"

"You did what you believed to be best for the White Fang and the Faunus, sir. You always have."

"Working with humans like this, it feels wrong." Adam paced circles around the table. "They don't believe in the cause of the Faunus, they don't even pretend to. And yet, their goals could help advance ours. This plan, attacking a kingdom, destroying a Huntsman academy… it's ambitious, and I almost believe we can pull it off." He chuckled. "Imagine what this could do for the cause, Balica. Imagine the fear we could spread. It could be the master stroke, force the other kingdoms to change, to give the Faunus what they deserve."

"This war could end at Beacon, sir." Balica agreed.

"It could." Adam sighed. "But it won't. There will be more to do afterwards, and there's still plenty to do before." He turned. "Balica, I want you to take over our operations in the city. I'll have Ilia transition you in before I send her back into the field."

"Sir, I'd rather remain with you."

"I'd rather you did too, Balica." Adam admitted. "But I don't trust this Torchwick, whatever Cinder says. I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on him, someone with the strength to carry out this plan and keep the humans in check. I'll keep coordinating from here and start preparing the Mountain Glenn base for the operation. Keep an eye on the humans, keep our people together. I'll see you before this is through."

"As you command, Captain." Balica extended his arm and Adam clasped it. "For the Faunus."

"For the Faunus."

* * *

The city of Vale was quiet. Adam inspected the area from his rooftop. The aftermath of the destruction had left an eerie stillness. Something about the bodies of the Grimm not being there, it made it look like the city had just decided to tear itself to pieces. Repairs would be done, and the people would recover. Just as they were meant _not _to.

Adam turned his glare on Cinder. "Why did they launch early?"

"They were discovered by a team of huntresses-in-training. It forced Roman's hand, and he started the attack. It was better than abandoning the mission."

"That train was supposed to deliver the White Fang into the city. Instead, you humans rammed it into a wall. I'm going to join our search and rescue party when we're done here, but before I do, I want you to tell me that my brothers and sisters did not just die for nothing!" He spat.

"This was only a step, and it was a success. The Grimm attacked, the city is scared, and the Atlesian army is bringing every robot they have." Cinder shrugged. "It doesn't matter that Vale didn't fall. Beacon is the real prize, for you and for us."

Adam's grip tightened on Blush. His trigger finger itched to fire Wilt into his draw. He held it back. "I will continue with this plan, _only _because I believe that the assault on Beacon will bring the results you promised. My organization will do its part, but my priority is their safety. I will pull them out if I believe the situation is too dangerous." He turned towards the rooftop door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have comrades to search for. And likely many to bury."

Adam left the rooftop, following the stairs down to the ruins of the basement. The explosion of the train had opened a number of new ways into the tunnels. Adam slid down the slope of debris to the broken remains of the tracks. The White Fang was hard at work, sifting through the wreckage of the train and tunnel for their comrades. Adam could hear faint gunshots in the distance as their front line pushed the Grimm back, allowing the search and rescue teams to move further into the tunnel. He picked over the rubble, looking around at his soldiers as he approached the field hospital. There were so many Faunus being treated. There were far fewer than he'd hoped.

"Captain Taurus!" An officer approached him.

"Focus on stabilizing the survivors." Adam instructed. "The city has recovered, and I'd expect the Atlesian military will be searching the area soon. As soon as they're able, load up our injured and get them out of the city. We'll be using my command center as the primary medical base."

"Yes, sir." The officer saluted. "But Captain… what about the dead?"

Adam breathed deeply. "We need to focus on the living. Take the names if you can, leave the bodies. If we can come back for them, we will."

"Yes, sir." The officer hesitated. "There's one in particular… it's over there."

Adam turned towards the pile of rubble the officer had indicated. A masked form lay partially buried. He felt himself almost floating out of his body as he walked over. He knew what was coming. It was the only explanation for why he hadn't contacted Adam. It was the only mask that Adam could recognize that quickly. It was the conclusion he'd always known would come.

Adam knelt in front of the body and removed Balica's mask. Balica was not moving. His eyes were closed. His expression was not shock or terror or anger. It was more serene than Adam had ever seen him. Adam looked over the face of his friend. He took the mask and clipped it onto his belt.

"No one is invincible." Adam muttered to himself. "As much as you may want them to be. Your sacrifice will be remembered, and I will carry on the fight as you would have. May you find peace in death." He took a slow breath, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Balica." He whispered. "Thank you for everything."

"Captain Taurus?" The officer asked from behind him. "Should we take him-"

"My orders stand." Adam said clearly. "Leave the dead." He stood slowly. "What's your name, brother?"

"Rhodes, sir."

"Rhodes." Adam nodded. "Start getting the wounded ready to move. I'll send someone to take command of the evacuation and meet you both at my command tent later."

"Yes, sir." Rhodes ran off.

Adam started to leave, then turned back to look at Balica's body. He turned and walked farther down the tunnel, following the growing sound of gunfire. The front line wasn't far, and was moving up steadily, the pounding of the guns echoing the pounding of his thoughts as he held them in check. He searched for the commander, finding her quickly.

"Adam!" Ilia hopped down from the piece of train wreckage and took off her mask, returning it to her belt with her whip. "We're keeping the Grimm back. I think we're almost at the edge of where we need search and rescue. One more big push and we should be good to dig in until the evacuation is finished." Ilia paused, finally noting Adam's expression. "What's the matter?"

"We…" Adam began, then sighed. "Balica's dead."

Ilia froze, her hands coming over her mouth. When she recovered, she shook her head. "We don't know that, they haven't found everyone yet!"

"We found the body."

"Then they made a mistake!" Ilia shouted.

"Ilia." Adam breathed. "I found the body."

Ilia's shoulders began to shake. Tears leaked from her eyes. Her control finally snapped and she rushed forward, burying her face in Adam's jacket. Adam put his arm around the girl's small frame and held her to him, feeling sobs wrack her body as her tears soaked into his shirt. Ilia had taken Blake's disappearance hard, and now this… she'd have to be moved. To Mistral, safe, away from all this. Sienna would handle it if Adam asked. For now though, she would just have to cry. After a minute, he gently pulled away. Ilia wiped at her eyes and sniffled.

"An officer named Rhodes is back at the field hospital, getting the wounded ready to move. Go and help him get our people out of this tunnel. I'll take over here."

Ilia nodded slowly, turning to jog back the way Adam had come. Adam stepped forward slowly, his grip tightening on Blush. He walked between the gunmen of the front line.

"Captain Taurus!"

"Sir!"

"All of you, prepare to push. Remain back, advance slowly. Focus your fire on the sides of the tunnel. I have the middle."

"Yes… yes sir!"

Adam strode forward, stopping in front of the snarling monsters charging towards him. So much death, so many lost. The humans had better keep their word. Adam's hand dropped to Wilt as he crouched and released his control. His emotions flooded him, sadness, loneliness, pain. And above it all, a burning, all-consuming rage. Adam's breathing grew heavier as he grabbed Wilt and began to glow like a bonfire. Three clones burst forward as he did, cutting into the Grimm, channelling pure fury into a flashing sword and an echoing scream.

* * *

It was late enough to almost be considered early when Adam finally entered his tent and tied the flaps closed. The general hubbub of his command center-turned-hospital had faded with the daylight, now no more than the dull murmur of normal operations. He took off his mask and left it in its place on the bedside table which he leaned Blush and Wilt against. He reached under his cot and drew out a small briefcase. He set it on the bed, unlocking and opening it. Two scraps of fabric lay inside, one a plain gray, the other slitted white and speckled with the ruddy brick-red of dried blood. Adam reached to his belt, unclipping Balica's mask and setting it inside the case.

"Take care of him, you two." Adam whispered. "He cared for me too." He took a slow breath. "I'll see you all someday."

Adam carefully closed and locked the case, slipping it back under his cot. He lay down and quietly cried until he fell asleep.

* * *

Adam watched the one Atlesian airship fire on the other, which crashed into a third and exploded. Cinder had been right, the signal would have been hard to miss. He tapped his Scroll for a full broadcast.

"The skies are ours! Launch all Bullheads!" The craft began to lift into the air, advancing up the cliffs towards the docks of Beacon. Adam surveyed the wave of Grimm rushing into the school. He raised his Scroll to his mouth again. "Brothers! Today we strike our first major blow at the heart of our enemies! The academy of Beacon trains huntsmen, the very huntsmen who have butchered and terrorized our kind for generations. Its destruction will safeguard the world of our children, and show humanity that they have no power over us. Today we strike for the lives of our brethren! We strike for the oppression of our people! We strike for the Faunus!" Adam heard responding cries from the men around him and the other aircraft. "Red squadron, drop your Grimm on the edges of the colosseum! All other units, head for the landing pads!"

The Bullheads came in to hover and the doors opened, spilling out White Fang soldiers. "Bring them to their knees!" Adam declared. He jumped out alongside his soldiers and charged into the schoolyard. Atlesian Knights and soldiers fired at the approaching army. Wilt leapt into Adam's hand as he deflected the first incoming shot and ran forward. He would spill blood tonight. For justice. For freedom. For Balica.

"For the Faunus!" He shouted as he charged.

* * *

Adam sliced down another soldier and sheathed Wilt again. He looked around him at the carnage, the justice being visited down on humanity. He refocused his attention to the group of injured Faunus following him. "With me!" He led them at a run to the cliffside landing pad nearby. Grimm stood between them and their goal, and Wilt leapt from its scabbard as he outran his comrades.

A Beowolf swiped over his head, and he cut it through the middle with a powerful slash. Adam slid to a stop, firing Blush to kill two Creeps. Another Beowolf pounced at him, and Adam dropped to a knee with his arm against the back of Wilt, letting the creature bisect itself on his blade. A Boarbatusk charged him and he jumped, pushing off the curved tusks and backflipping, throwing Wilt down to stick in the ground and halt the Grimm's movement. He swung back over the pommel and landed on top of the creature, firing shots into the head until it dissolved into black mist. He retrieved Wilt and sheathed it as he saw a Bullhead come in to land.

"Go, go, get on board!" He motioned the other White Fang members to run for the aircraft while he rushed a giant Ursa Major. Wilt bit into the Grimm's arm and was wrenched from his grip as he jumped backwards to avoid the swinging claws. He turned to the soldiers running past him. "Sword!" He shouted, felling a charging Creep with a single shot of Blush. One of the Faunus tossed him a saber. It was so small and light, just holding it bothered him. Still, it would serve its purpose. He took his crouch, placing the curved blade against the side of Blush after mistakenly trying to sheathe it. The world turned red as he charged his semblance and slashed. Wilt clattered to the ground and Adam tossed the Faunus back his saber before recovering his own weapon and sheathing it. He threw a quick draw slash through a Beowolf and moved towards the transport.

"You have everyone?" He called as he reached the vehicle.

"Yes, Captain, we're heading back to the camp."

"Get everyone there, I'll meet you by morning." He looked over the cabin. "You all fought bravely tonight. Know that you leave this battlefield as heroes." He turned to leave.

"Captain Taurus?"

Adam stopped. "What is it, Carrie?"

"I thought you should know, sir. A lot of my men who got taken out…" Adam sensed discomfort in the hesitation of her voice. "It was by the Belladonna girl."

Adam's jaw set. "You engaged at the ceremony hall, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you for telling me." Adam tightened his grip on Blush. "Get these injured out of here, they've done their duty." He hopped off the Bullhead and headed back to the school.

The ceremony hall was mostly empty, but Adam did find a huntsman-in-training hiding next to an Atlesian infantryman. The huntsman wasn't even armed. Adam batted aside the soldier's shots with ease, cutting his rifle in half and slamming the butt of his resheathed weapon into the huntsman's skull in a single motion. The soldier punched at him and Adam dodged, grabbing the human's arm and flinging him into the wall. He drew Wilt and sliced the man's chest open, tossing him away. His ear caught a gasp to his side. He turned his head to the face there.

Blake.

Adam stepped on the fallen boy, raising Wilt as Blake shot forward, her sword intercepting the killing blow. Adam pushed her off him and fired into a charging Creep behind her.

"You have no idea how much it hurts me to see you like this, Blake."

"Adam, I… I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Blake?" Adam snapped. "Sorry for deserting our people's cause? Sorry for leaving me to die on an exploding train? Sorry for the Faunus that died tonight, destroyed by the Grimm because you, _you _put them out of commission?!" Adam deflected Blake's desperate strike and kicked her to the ground. "This was supposed to be our night, Blake! The greatest blow for the Faunus in decades! I wanted you beside me for this! I wanted all of us to share this victory!"

"This was never what I wanted!" Blake cried. "All this death and destruction! I wanted equality, I wanted peace!" She raised her gun.

Adam caught both shots on the half-drawn blade of Wilt. "What you want isn't possible! It doesn't work, Blake!" He cut the gun out of her hand. "You used to be honest with yourself about that."

"Captain Taurus!" The communications unit in his ear called. "We just lost the Atlesian Knights! Taking over the school just got a lot harder!"

"Forget the school." Adam said. "Move to the docks and bring in the Bullheads, we're pulling out. It's too dangerous for our people to keep fighting." Adam returned his attention to Blake. "You can still come back, Blake. You can still be with your people, with me."

"I'd rather die!" Blake called.

"I'm not going to kill you. I don't kill our kind, no matter what they might have done. That's the difference between you and me, Blake." Adam sheathed his blade sharply. "I don't throw aside my loyalties so easily."

"Blaaaaake!"

Adam turned to the new voice. A golden-haired girl punched a Grimm away with what looked like a wrist-mounted shotgun. "Blake, where are you?"

Adam looked down at Blake, her expression frozen in terror. Whoever this girl was, she meant something to Blake.

"Do you have any idea how much it hurt, Blake? Waking up after being caught in the explosion of that train? Trying to keep my brain focused on not dying from shock while your betrayal crashed down on me?" Adam drew Wilt and made a shallow stab into Blake's side. Blake wailed in pain. "That doesn't compare. It doesn't compare to the pain of the explosion. It doesn't compare to watching as you lose someone you care about."

"Get away from her!" The yellow-haired girl was shouting.

"I don't kill our kind, Blake…" Adam straightened and sheathed Wilt. "…but she is not one of us." He finished as he turned to the girl's scream of fury. She flew towards him, fist pulled back to strike. Adam thumbed Wilt out as the world turned red. He aimed a precise slash and shot forward. The girl fell to the floor, a few feet from the rest of her right arm. Adam turned, swiping to clean the blood off his blade as he approached the fallen girl. Suddenly, Blake threw her body on top of the girl.

"So, this is it, Blake? You really do value these humans over your own people? I'm disappointed in you." He slashed at her, and Blake's clone dissolved. He turned, spotting her running away from him, carrying that girl in her arms.

"Sir!" A White Fang soldier ran up to him. "Should we pursue?"

He'd just tried to attack Blake. If his slash had been off, if she hadn't been a clone… He had gone too far. Remember the mission. Remember the cause. The Faunus needed him to lead.

"No." Adam sheathed Wilt sharply. "There's too many Grimm. We did what we came here to do. We should focus on ensuring that everyone makes it out. Get to the Bullheads."

The soldiers ran from the hall, and Adam watched Blake's retreating back.

"You may not approve of my actions, Blake. You may not approve of the salvation I will bring. But it will be yours either way, because you deserve it, like all Faunus."

He turned to follow his comrades.

* * *

Author's Note:

Shout out to **MajorBrony95** for favoriting the story!

Shout out to **Jackie Allen** for the follow and comment on chapter 1! I'm glad you like the story, hope it's keeping your interest. I actually hadn't intended him using darkness as a weapon to be that symbolic, but now that you've pointed it out, yes, that was absolutely the plan from the beginning. I will say Adam basically passed out from the pain, so they might have tried, he just wasn't conscious enough to process it. But still, good point there.

Chapter 7 is honestly not my favorite for most of it. I still feel like I could have done the Battle of Beacon better, but it is what it is. You'll notice me directly opposing canon for a few scenes and dialogue here, but readers of Life in a Dead World know that it's part of my MO. It will get far worse in later chapters.

Rest in peace, Balica. I'm really proud of the character he became and how much I was able to do with him. The last time we saw White Fang Lieutenant in the show was on the train, and that single line of dialogue became the reason for the whole scene with Winter in chapter 5. His scene with Adam in the beginning of this chapter is one of my favorites with him.

I think I've mentioned before that Adam relies on the people around him to keep him stable. Well, he lost Blake, he just lost Balica, and he sent Ilia away. He's started to crack, which showed up in the Battle of Beacon. I think Adam was partially motivated by revenge, but also he kind of wanted Blake back in his life since it's falling apart around him and he knows that she can help him. Now he's down to just Sienna Khan.

You'll see what happens between them on Sunday.

Name puns:

Rhodes - a reference to Rhode Island Red chickens


	8. Chapter 8: Loyalty

Adam had never been to the Mistral Citadel before. The vaulted ceiling and dim light almost made it feel like he was back in the cavern base under Mountain Glenn. Sienna Khan sat on her throne on the far side of the hall, pairs of spear-wielding Faunus flanking her under the giant banner bearing the emblem of the White Fang. The grand atmosphere was so different from his Vale base, seeming to insist that he either march or crawl. Instead, Adam walked forward slowly, kneeling at the bottom of the steps to the throne dais.

"Captain Taurus." Sienna called to him.

"High Leader Khan, thank you for meeting with me." Adam bowed his head.

"You said you had a proposal for me? A new way to advance the cause?"

"Yes, High Leader." Adam nodded. "I believe that we must build on our past successes and take the next steps to advance our people."

"Not everyone considers your recent acts to be the unequivocal victories that you see them as. Making humanity respect our power has always been my goal, but many Faunus think your assault on Beacon was more than a few steps too far."

Something clicked in Adam's mind as he looked up at her. "You agree with them."

"I haven't completely decided where I stand." Sienna said tightly.

"You also haven't allowed the White Fang to take credit for the attack." Adam snapped. "You're afraid to commit to your ideals. You aren't willing to keep up the fight!"

"Remember your place, Captain!" Sienna's eyes blazed as she leaned forward. "I lead the White Fang. I will decide our direction."

"Our direction should be Haven Academy." Adam insisted.

Sienna closed her mouth slowly and sat back in the throne. "That is what you wanted to propose? An attack on Haven, just like Beacon?"

"Not like Beacon." Adam stood, his voice rising with his gaze. "The assault on Beacon was a show of force, of power. It was meant to inspire fear more than it was to capture the school. You can see for yourself how it has worked. The White Fang is not a name denounced in disgust anymore, it is a name whispered in terror behind locked doors. The humans fear our retribution. Now, we must press our advantage and eliminate their resources. Haven Academy trains huntsmen, the soldiers of the enemy. The destruction of the school removes their threat from our cause. The school will be empty, there will be little resistance."

"A strategic strike." Sienna nodded. "I get your point, Captain."

"Please, allow me to lead this assault." Adam returned to his knee. "I will strike again for our people."

Sienna paused. "No."

Adam's head snapped up. "What?"

"I said, no, Adam!" Sienna leaned forward. "There will be no assault, and you will stay far away from Haven! The White Fang is going to lay low until the dust settles, and you will do the same."

"High Leader, we have a perfect opportunity to strike now!" Adam protested. "Humanity is divided, afraid. We may never have a better time to rise against them!"

"You're not talking about an uprising, you're talking about slaughter!" Sienna straightened against the throne back. "I won't risk the White Fang like this, Adam, I am not starting a war."

"Starting a war?" Adam growled as he punched the floor and rose to his feet. "We've watched humans imprison and enslave Faunus. We've seen our people slaughtered by huntsmen. We've lost our brothers and sisters to the machines of Atlas." He swept an arm around the room, finally bringing his hand to the throne. "Look around you, High Leader Khan, we are already at war! What you must decide is if you have the strength to lead us!"

"Captain, fall in line or you will be cast out of the White Fang." Sienna's voice was icy. "I lead our organization and our people. I will not lead us to war."

A silent moment passed between the two before Adam spoke. "Then I will."

"What?" Sienna snapped.

"I have other allies, High Leader, allies who will help us fight this war. Any who are loyal to our cause, who want to fight for a better world for all Faunus, follow me. I am going to Haven Academy, and I will burn it to the ground." Adam turned sharply for the door.

Sienna stood from the throne. "I won't just stand here and let you do this, Adam!"

"Then stop me, Sienna!" Adam roared as he spun to face her with his hand on Wilt. His voice echoed through the hall amid long seconds of silence. Adam's hand came off Wilt with two definite, harsh words. "You won't."

Sienna glared at him for a moment before slowly sitting back on her throne. Adam sighed. The anger was gone from his voice, replaced with a thick disappointment, almost sadness. "I believed in you, Sienna. You came so close to being what our people needed. But in the end, you can't do what is necessary. Your cowardice holds you back, just like the Belladonnas before you. I refuse to allow the Faunus to be restrained by the cowardice of a High Leader. Not anymore." He turned to the exit, his voice echoing off the far wall back to the throne. "You may not approve of my actions, Sienna. But when the Faunus win what they deserve, you will reap the rewards of that victory with all our brethren. You will accept it, you will celebrate it, but you will never escape from the knowledge that you did not have the will to be a part of it."

Adam burst through the door of the throne room to his waiting comrades. "Sienna Khan has rejected our initiative. I'm moving to the safehouse in Foggard to set up a base of operations. Gather whoever will fight with us and tell them to join me there. We move on Haven soon."

* * *

Ilia didn't have much trouble reaching Foggard. The police didn't think abandoned towns like this were even worth patrolling, even right on the edge of Mistral. Ilia almost didn't recognize the place as she passed the packs of roving perimeter sentries. The White Fang banners were familiar from the Vale camp, but the atmosphere seemed harsher, almost making her skin itch. Broken buildings had replaced tents, more Faunus in body armor were fingering their weapons as she walked through. Adam had taken only days to turn a ruin into a war camp. She was allowed into the half-destroyed mansion that had become Adam's command center and directed to the study on the second floor. The walls held maps of the City of Mistral and Haven Academy, marked with angles of attack and targets of opportunity. Adam was standing behind an ornate desk as Ilia entered, the opening door making him look up from the Scroll in front of him. Surprise crossed his face. "Ilia?" Ilia ran over and Adam accepted a short hug before moving back to the other side of the table to retrieve his Scroll. "What are you doing here?"

"I tracked you when you left the Citadel, after your meeting with Sienna Khan."

Adam shook his head, collapsing his Scroll and returning it to his pocket. "Then I feel I should tell you that she doesn't support me anymore. I guess her public announcement hasn't gone out yet."

"And it never will."

Adam paused and looked up at her. "What are you talking about?"

"She's never going to make that announcement. She's never going to make an announcement again."

"Ilia, explain, now." Adam's voice tightened.

"You inspired me, Adam. I worked with Corsac and Fennec. They attacked the Belladonnas' house in Menagerie, and my team took the Citadel. We stormed the place, and we killed her. Corsac and Fennec should be calling any minute now to report that the Belladonnas are taken care of."

Adam walked very slowly around the table towards her as Ilia kept talking.

"Adam, there's no opposition left! The throne is open, you can become the High Leader of the White Fang! You can lead the Faunus to war, do what others won't, you can bring us our freedom!"

Adam stopped in front of her.

"Adam? Say something!" Ilia's eyes were wide with excitement.

Adam looked up at her, his face tight. His arm rose toward her, and Ilia lowered her head, closing her eyes with a smile. Suddenly, Adam's fist slammed into her temple and she fell to the ground. She scrambled away from him in shock.

"A-Adam?!" Ilia cried.

"How dare you!" Adam bellowed. "How dare you launch this sort of attack! How dare you use my name to justify it!"

"Adam, we were inspired by you! We do what others won't! The hard things that are necessary for the cause!" Ilia started to rise. "We followed your example!"

"Followed my example?" Adam's sheathed weapon cracked across her cheek and she fell onto her belly. "You _betrayed _my example! We are better than this, Ilia!"

"You said they were cowards!" Ilia crawled away from him. "You said that their fear held us back! That it harmed the cause!"

"I know what I said, Ilia, and I stand by it. But above all else," Adam seethed, his voice rising to a roar, "we do NOT KILL our own kind!"

Ilia's expression crumbled. Adam put his hand on Wilt, his body beginning to glow with the rage of his semblance. Ilia hit the wall and pressed as far into it as she could. She couldn't move any more, just watch Adam walk towards her brimming with power and hatred. She saw the glowing blade of Wilt appear at the top of the scabbard, then pause. Adam exhaled hard, then pushed Wilt back down, his glow fading. He released his grip on the sword, his hand jerking around as he moved it to his side in a clenched fist.

"Get out."

Ilia began to stand, using the bookshelves to support herself. "Adam…"

"Get out, Ilia." Adam's voice held the contained fury of a volcano. "Get out of my room, get out of my base, get out of my sight." He turned his back to her. "Get out before I find out if I can live with killing you."

Ilia's mind was a ball of shattered glass. The only clear thought in her head was the words Adam had spoken. She ran for the door and pushed through it. She ran down the stairs and out of the safehouse. She ran through the camp. She ran out of Foggard. She ran, and just kept running.

* * *

The full moon shone down on Haven Academy, illuminating Adam as he walked along the balcony of one of the buildings. His small group of loyalists was spread around the courtyard, preparing for the final moments of the school. Adam's hand brushed the detonator switch in his belt. He was supposed to wait for Hazel's signal that they were finished before he blew the school.

He heard a light sound from his left, but saw nothing when he turned his head to check his blind spot. The sensation was familiar, and his hand drifted to Wilt. His aura alerted him and he spun, drawing and knocking away the electrified whip point. Ilia was flying at him from a nearby window, and he could see the sudden flash of fear as her surprise attack failed and she fruitlessly tried to change direction in mid-air. Adam reached up and grabbed her with his free hand, hurling her against the balcony railing which shattered from the impact. Ilia fell to the courtyard below, and Adam looked down at her as she landed hard on her back and glared up at him. The White Fang soldiers raised their weapons, surrounding her.

"Remember our objective!" Adam called to the soldiers as he sheathed Wilt and unclipped his weapons from his belt. "Stand down, I'll handle this." Adam dropped down to the flagstones as casually as stepping through a door. "You never did learn to stop throwing yourself into your attacks. Why are you here, Ilia?"

"I'm not afraid of you anymore!" Ilia insisted, getting to her feet and raising her whip. "I'm stronger now."

Adam snorted, tossing Wilt and Blush into the air as his semblance flared. Ilia's eyes followed the flying weapon as Adam rushed forward, his clone's kick to her knee making her leg buckle with a cry. A second clone disarmed her and Adam twisted her arm behind her back, forcing her face to the stones as her whip clattered beside her. His free hand reached up casually to catch his weapons. Ilia struggled under his grip, grunting as she tried to free herself.

"I'm not impressed, Ilia." Adam grumbled, turning her arm in a more solid grip. "Being willing to kill your brethren does not make you strong."

"Adam!"

Adam looked up at the source of the voice on an opposing rooftop. He recognized the silhouette clearly and his teeth ground.

"Stand down!" Blake shouted at him. Adam's soldiers raised their weapons.

"Hold your fire!" Adam shouted. "We don't kill our own kind." He wrenched Ilia's arm harder, earning a small cry of pain. "It's what makes us better than her."

"This isn't what's right for the Faunus! Stop what you're doing and we can end this peacefully."

"End, maybe. But not win." Adam stood, pulling Ilia up with him. "I think I'll let you handle her." He threw Ilia forward, the girl cradling her arm and fighting back tears. "This is the girl who murdered Sienna Khan, who tried to kill your family, who tried to kill me. She deserves death. I won't kill another Faunus, Blake, but we both know you will. Balica proved that." Blake hesitated as Ilia dragged herself away from Adam. Adam sighed. "This display is pointless, Blake. You can't even stand against me, much less the true heroes of the Faunus!" His voice rose as he gestured to the soldiers around him. "Did you really think you would accomplish anything, coming here by yourself?"

"Not by myself." Blake called back.

"That's why she didn't come alone!"

Adam whirled to his left to see an army coming out of the trees. No, not an army, just civilians. All of them were Faunus. He saw shields emblazoned with the old emblem of the White Fang. Adam felt his soldiers waver.

"Who's there?" One called.

"Your brothers and sisters."

Adam could have recognized Ghira's voice anywhere, but it still made his teeth grind. The former leader had his own horde of Faunus on the right.

"M-Mata?" The soldier next to Adam called.

A ram-horned Faunus lowered his shield. "Please, stop this…" He begged.

Adam heard the sound of an engine behind him before spotlights began to illuminate his troops from the airships coming in to hover around them, loudspeakers announcing them as the Mistral Police Force. Adam looked around his surrounded forces as Blake dropped to the ground in front of him. He turned to her.

"I'm almost impressed, Blake." He admitted. "You've brought the White Fang and the human police."

"Sir…" One of the soldiers fidgeted next to him. "What do we do?"

Adam took a deep breath before raising his voice. "This fight was always for the Faunus. For our brethren. It is as much for the Faunus you see in front of you as it is for those who have died, as much for those that stand free as those that live in slavery. I will not order you to lay down your arms, nor will I order you to stand against your own people."

"Adam!" Blake called. "This is the end of your White Fang!"

"Yes." Adam agreed. "But it is not the end of the fight." He pulled the detonator trigger from his belt and checked the safety was on. He tossed it to Blake. "We have bombs set around the academy. If your only loyalty left is to humans, you'll pull that trigger now. If you know what's right for our people, you'll hit it once we're clear. I don't kill my own kind, Blake. Do you?"

Blake took the detonator and crushed it under her foot. Adam inclined his head.

"Then that's your decision."

A few of the White Fang members started firing at the Mistral airships and were swarmed by the Faunus militia. Most simply dropped their weapons. Adam stood still, facing Blake like a tower in a storm. She approached slowly, pausing at the edge of his sword's reach.

"Adam. Come with us." Blake pleaded. "Turn yourself in."

Adam shook his head. "I can't, Blake. I can never forget what humanity's done to us. They've made certain of that." He gestured to the left side of his mask. "I won't forgive them, and the oppression hasn't ended. Our people still need someone to fight for them." He stepped back from her. "I will fight alone if I have to."

Blake indicated the airships. "They're not going to just let you leave."

"We both know they can't stop me."

Blake hesitated, then sighed. Adam turned and ran, searchlights tracking him until he vanished into the trees. No one followed him.

* * *

"Freeze!" The police officer shouted.

"We're not freezing, are we?" Mercury asked. Hazel merely grunted in reply, hefting Emerald higher on his shoulder to run more steadily. The officers were giving chase, bullets striking around the two men as they pushed through the forest undergrowth. One hit Hazel in the back and he growled as it made him stumble. The police were catching up.

"Stop! Wait, what-!" A cry came from the officers along with a slithering sound. The shooting ended. Hazel stopped, turning around to see Adam standing over the bodies of the officers. Adam swung the sword to clean the blood off it before sheathing.

"Taurus." Hazel grumbled.

"Hazel, Mercury." Adam nodded. He noticed Mercury crouched, half-closed fists hovering around his collarbone. "If I was here to kill you I would have done it already."

"Then what are you here for?" Mercury demanded.

"I was wrong. This cause of yours, it no longer aligns with the Faunus. I failed my people by pursuing it."

"Why save us?" Hazel grunted.

"It doesn't mean I have to let you die." Adam said. "But I can't work with you anymore. You may tell your mistress that the White Fang is no longer aligned with her. And neither am I."

"She may not be happy with that." Hazel warned.

"Then she'll come for me, and I will handle it. You are a loyal man, Rainart. I appreciate your concern for me, but that concern is no longer yours. Goodbye, and safe travels." Adam turned away into the woods.

"You think you have nothing left to lose." Hazel shook his head and adjusted the girl on his shoulder. "She has a way of proving people wrong on that point."

"I've lost my allies, I've lost my friends, I've lost my people. I have one thing left to lose." Adam said over his shoulder. "I'm going to go give it away."

* * *

Blake and her teammate entered the dilapidated mansion, eyes darting.

"It looks empty." Blake muttered.

"This whole town is empty." Yang lowered her fists. "Ilia says this was a war camp?"

"Adam took it all with him for his attack." Blake shrugged. "We're probably the first ones to come here since then."

"Let's just get this done." Yang sighed. "The longer we're here, the more this feels like a trap."

It did definitely feel like a trap. Twelve hours after the fight in Haven, Blake's Scroll had picked up the beacon of another Scroll. Adam's Scroll. They'd followed it back to Foggard, finding the ruined town still bearing the signs of the White Fang's occupation. Blake checked her Scroll.

"Come on, it's coming from upstairs."

Blake led Yang up into a bedroom. The door was open, and Blake looked around carefully as she entered, ready to form a shadow if needed. The room was empty, the only thing out of place being the bed. There was a briefcase open on the blanket, Adam's Scroll propped on the inside in tablet mode. Blake approached and picked up the Scroll, the beacon deactivating as she did. She looked inside the case. Two scraps of cloth, and a White Fang mask. Balica's mask. Blake looked at the Scroll in her hand, which was now flashing with a voice message. She tapped it.

"Hello, Blake." Adam's voice came from the Scroll and Blake could see Yang twitch.

"Adam?"

"You know who these are. I failed them, and what they died for. I can't keep them anymore. Take care of them for me. They were all better than me." Blake heard Adam sigh. "They deserve better than me."

The Scroll went silent.

* * *

Author's Note:

Shout out to **Gleaming Onyx** for the review of chapter 7! I'm glad you enjoy my mix of canon and originality. If you like the style of mixing it, you should definitely check out my other works on here. It's sort of my thing. I've never read the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, maybe I should. And for anyone who's a Star Wars fan, look up "Backstroke of the West."

Name puns:

Foggard is a play on the Gaelic "_Fògradh_," which means "exile"

I'm pretty proud of this chapter overall. I felt a bit limited by the canon that I wanted to stick with, so I filled in a bit around the edges of when we see Adam. My biggest departure is how Adam deals with opposition within the White Fang. I set up early on Adam's "we don't kill Faunus" thing, and his scene in Foggard was really fun to write from Ilia's perspective. Adam's come a long way since we saw him through Tangris's eyes. Then he was regal. Now he's terrifying.

However, this is also where we get into Volume 5, and where Adam loses all character development in the show, so a lot of things needed to be changed. Adam is still an honorable guy. He still holds himself to standards, like his conduct with Mercury and Hazel. The difference is, with Adam, that was the last people he had left. And with that final scene, he's even given up the memory of people he had. I'm sure most people have figured it out by now, but the other two masks in the case are Selena's and the one Tangris made for him. Adam is now completely alone. You'll see next time how he deals with it.

I'm going to repeat something I said in my introduction to this story. I want to know when people _stop_ liking Adam. I wonder who's there yet?

New chapter Tuesday.


	9. Chapter 9: The Red Fang

The mountainside cave that Adam was sitting in was cold and damp, but it got him out of the rain. He stayed with his knees close to him, Wilt and Blush nestled in the crook of his arm as he flipped through the newsfeeds on the Scroll. It wasn't his, but the Schnee employee wouldn't be needing it anymore. The keywords "Battle of Haven" kept bringing up articles on heroic huntresses, grateful humans, and the reorganized White Fang. By all indications, Blake had become a heroine. She'd given her father back control of the White Fang, and they'd been spending the past weeks disassembling the paramilitary structure of the organization, stripping the Faunus of their power. Adam finished the article and flipped to the next news report.

"Mistral officials met this morning with Ghira Belladonna, High Leader of the White Fang and Chieftain of Menagerie." The newscaster announced. "The Mistral Council reiterated their gratitude for the White Fang's aid during the Battle of Haven, and assured the press that the Mistral Police Force is forming a special task force to crack down on Faunus discrimination within the kingdom, under the supervision of the White Fang."

Adam almost snorted at the bad comedy. It was working? It would take a child's blind innocence to believe it. The humans wouldn't think of the Faunus as equals after one incident. Something else had to be pushing the Mistral Council to work with Ghira. The scene changed and the lower third identified the footage of a man behind the podium as a member of the Mistral Council.

"The Council is proud to work with the White Fang to improve the conditions of Faunus throughout the kingdom, and hopes that Mistral will be a model for other kingdoms to do the same."

Lying through their teeth, as always. Humans never changed.

"Councilman!" A voice came from the crowd. "Is the Council aware that Adam Taurus is a member of the same White Fang that they are cooperating with?"

The spokesman nodded, keeping his composure. "The Council has been informed that Adam Taurus _was_ a member of the White Fang, and the source of much of the violent sentiment shown by the organization of late. Chieftain Belladonna wishes to assure the people of Mistral that this radical has been removed from power and disavowed by the organization. The White Fang joins us in our horror at such terrorist acts, and has agreed to dedicate whatever resources they can to aid in his pursuit and capture."

There it was. That was why they were working with Ghira. Adam had always known that fear was the answer, and he'd been right. The humans were listening because they were afraid of him. Not to him, but still, they were listening.

The newscaster reappeared. "The violent extremist Adam Taurus disappeared during the Battle of Haven and remains at large. He has been credited with several brutal attacks in recent weeks."

The news never got his good side, but Adam supposed that wasn't really the point of putting his picture in front of their viewers.

"Adam Taurus has been spotted at several towns around Mistral. Citizens who see this man are advised not to approach him, and to immediately call the hotline shown on the screen. Huntsmen are standing by to respond. The heroine of the Battle of Haven, Blake Belladonna, was unfortunately unavailable for comment."

Blake had been in the news quite a bit lately, preaching cooperation every chance she got like a broken record. Why was she suddenly unavailable for comment? He looked at the small clip of her waving as she entered a building. What was that sign? Adam paused the video and zoomed closer. Mistral train station. Then she was leaving for somewhere.

Blake was the key. The humans were listening to her. She had to keep talking, and they had to keep listening to her. No one else was going to make sure that happened. Adam scrubbed back through the news report to find the number. He dialed quickly.

"This is Mistral Huntsman dispatch, what is your emergency?"

"Officer?" Adam had heard fear enough to make a convincing imitation. "Oh, thank the gods, I finally got through! You have to help me!"

"Please, calm down, sir." The dispatcher said. "Can you tell me where you are?"

Adam stood, grabbing Wilt and Blush. "In the mountains, just outside Barack Point! I found him, the one from the news!"

"Who did you find sir?"

"That Faunus, the one in the mask! Aiden Taurus!" Adam moved the Scroll away from his face for a moment as he suppressed a chuckle.

"Understood, sir. When I tell you to, please hang up and enter the following code into your Scroll, it'll let it serve as a beacon for our huntsmen. Then find a place to hide and remain there until we arrive. Can you do that?"

"Yes, yes, officer!"

"Good. You've received the code. Please hang up and stay safe. We'll be there soon."

"Thank you, thank you!" Adam ended the call and his inward calm returned to his outward manner. He entered the code on his Scroll and secured his mask. "I certainly hope you will."

* * *

The last huntsman scrambled back through the wreckage of the crashed airship, crawling away from Adam. Adam casually walked after him, Wilt shining in the firelight, finally kicking the man onto his back and planting a boot on his chest.

"Please, please, no!"

"Shut up." Adam snarled, bringing Wilt's tip to the human's chin. "I don't want to hear your whimpering, I want information."

"Of-of course!" The huntsman squeaked. "Anything you want to know!"

"Blake Belladonna." Adam grumbled. "Where is she?"

"She's not in Mistral anymore!"

"I didn't ask you where she wasn't!" Adam stabbed the man in the shoulder, receiving a scream as he twisted the blade. "Where is she!" He tore his weapon out.

"I don't know! She left on a train!"

Adam returned Wilt to his throat. "Tell me something that makes keeping you alive worth it."

"The train!" The man cried. "The Argus Limited, one of my classmates was stationed on it! The train is a direct shot to Argus, on the northern coast!"

Adam considered the information, sheathing Wilt. "Where is your Scroll?"

"R-right here!" The man shakily reached into his pocket and held out the device. Adam took it from him.

"Thank you." Adam pocketed the Scroll. "You've been very helpful." Whatever the man was about to say was silenced by the swish of Wilt removing his head from his shoulders. Adam picked up the head. He had an announcement to make.

* * *

The broadcast began with a man's face, frozen in shock.

"Humans." A deep voice said. A gunshot sounded, and the head flew out of frame. "Humans are scum."

The camera angle widened to show Adam sheathing Wilt in the smoking barrel of Blush. His face and head were hidden by a dark hood, only the white and red of his mask visible in the shadows. "For too long, humans have been allowed to control this world. They do not deserve it." Adam paced across the frame, keeping his hand on Wilt's grip. "They are the inferior race. Faunus are stronger, faster, more capable. They are a higher form of life than humanity, and it is an insult to compare them. Instead, I ask you, how are humans better than Grimm?"

Adam paused a moment. "The answer is that they are not. The Grimm destroy because that is their nature. They have no choice. Humans choose. Humans choose to hunt Faunus like beasts. Humans choose to imprison them as slaves. Humans choose to attack them in the street. Humans choose to deny them service. Humans do not do this because they are mindless or because they have no choice. They do this because they have built a society that allows them to benefit from their cruelty. Because their profits and status are more valuable to them than the lives of the Faunus that they destroy."

"For too long, Faunus have been denied their justice, and humanity has been allowed to oppress them with impunity. Faunus blood has been spilled by mobs, by huntsmen, by soldiers, by businessmen. That blood screams out for vengeance, cries that the spineless weaklings of the White Fang choose to ignore! It should serve as no surprise, really. After all, a white fang is clean, bloodless. It is nothing but a hollow threat."

Adam turned sharply to face the camera. "This is not a threat. Humans of Remnant, hear me. I will visit the retribution of the Faunus upon every one of you. You will die for the suffering of the Faunus. No one is safe, no one can protect you, no one can stop me." He drew Wilt, the blade glowing along with him. "I am the Red Fang, and I will have blood."

Wilt slashed through the camera and the broadcast ended.

* * *

"Okay, wireless tower is down." Blake called into her Scroll as she hit the ground.

"Hello, Blake."

Blake froze at the voice behind her, lowering her Scroll, her teammates' calls for her going unheard. It'd been months since Haven, she didn't want to believe that it was happening. She almost couldn't. Her mind might have made him appear, but it wouldn't have the wear on his clothing, the dark hood, the icy tone.

"Adam?" Blake managed.

The hood dipped. "I'm glad I managed to catch you before you left."

Blake drew Gambol Shroud and fired at Adam. He half-drew and blocked her shots before resheathing. Blake switched to sword mode and leapt at him. Adam drew Wilt and knocked her strikes away, spiralling around her as he beat back each attack. Blake kept the pressure on, forcing him to retreat under her barrage of strikes. She landed a more solid hit and Adam slid back, sheathing his blade.

"You've improved." Adam said.

Blake grimaced at his taunt, but it didn't feel like a taunt. Something was wrong, something about this fight, something about Adam. Why did this fight feel so much different than all her others? It wasn't that she was being pressed, she hadn't used a single shadow. Adam recognized the realization on her face as Blake finally settled on the answer, the energy draining from her assault. She hadn't used a single shadow because Adam hadn't attacked her. She slowly lowered her sword.

"So you finally figured out that I'm not here to fight?" Adam asked.

"You could have said something." Blake complained.

Adam smirked. "Would you really have believed me if I did? You barely believe me now."

"Then what are you here for?" Blake rose from her combat stance, but kept her grip tight on her weapon. Adam shook his head and tucked Blush into his belt.

"I'm here to talk."

Adam watched Blake's ear flick. She could hear something, and soon he could hear it too. An engine.

"We have nothing to talk about." Blake insisted. "You're insane, Adam! I saw your announcement, I've seen the news of what you've been doing, everyone you've killed. Don't even try to justify what you're doing, you're not doing this for the Faunus anymore, this is only to satisfy your own bloodlust."

Adam didn't get a chance to respond before an offensively yellow motorcycle pulled up, producing a girl with matching hair. The girl from Beacon. She had a new right arm, looked like an Atlas prosthetic, painted yellow. Did everything with this girl have to be yellow?

"Blake!" The girl yelled, running up. "You stopped answering your Scroll, so I came to-" The girl froze when she saw Adam. Blake turned to her as she began to shake.

"Yang!" Blake stepped backwards to her teammate. "Don't worry, he didn't hurt me."

The words didn't seem to comfort Yang as she turned her wide eyes to Blake. "You can see him too?" Her body began to shake harder. "He's really there…"

"Yang!" Blake grabbed Yang as her legs gave out, slowly lowering her trembling teammate to the ground. "Breathe, Yang, you have to breathe!"

"He's here…" Yang was mumbling to herself between desperate gasps. "He's here…"

"It's alright, Yang, I'm right here, I've got you." Blake insisted. She glared at Adam. "I won't let him kill you too."

"So that's what you think of me." Adam spoke clearly. "You see me as a madman, a fanatic, only seeking destruction and death." Adam lowered his hood and his body relaxed. "Good."

Blake looked up in shock. "What?"

"If I've managed to make even you believe it, than that means it's working."

"What are you talking about?" Blake demanded.

"Why do you think I made that broadcast, Blake?"

"Because you wanted people to listen! You think if you scare them enough, it'll lead to change! But you're wrong, Adam! The success that we've been having recently should be proof enough."

"Yes, you've had great success recently, you've had humans listening to you. And do you know why that is? It's because they fear me." Adam pointed to Yang, shivering in Blake's arms. "You see that fear, Blake, that terror? It makes her turn to you. The Faunus need that fear to be listened to, and that fear needs a face. That's what I can be, what I will be for all humans. As long as they fear me, the humans will listen to you. They'll negotiate with the White Fang because they know they can't with the Red."

Blake absorbed this in shock until another of Yang's ragged breaths brought her back to the moment. "Adam, what are you saying?"

"I need you to keep going, Blake. I can fight and kill, but the humans can't know that I'm doing it for our cause. I can't be the face of our people anymore, and if I can't, then someone needs to. You need to." Adam exhaled. "I'm leaving the Faunus in your hands, Blake. Do better for them than I could."

Blake finally put Gambol Shroud away to hug Yang tighter. "Adam, this is insane."

"Maybe it is." Adam looked down for a moment. "I know you're going to Atlas. There's no other reason you'd be this far north. I can't go there, but I can hurt the Schnees here. I can't let our people stay in those mines, Blake. We both know what's done to us there. The Schnees won't change until we make them."

"Not all Schnees are the same, Adam." Blake said quietly.

"I can accept that I wasn't fully right. Maybe some humans can be convinced by your approach alone. I have a much harder time believing the Schnees will be swayed by your words." Adam raised a finger. "You have one month, Blake. One month before I start tearing down every single thing that family has built. Show me your way works."

They both heard the chime of Blake's Scroll. Adam smiled, the expression seeming wholly alien to both of them.

"Goodbye, Blake. I really do hope you succeed."

He turned and vanished into the trees.

* * *

Author's Note:

First, lots of shout-outs!

Thank you to **blankdead**, **GhostHaloRWBY**, **Lucifer's Remnants**, and **dewin0001** for favoriting the story! It makes me so happy to see people enjoying it. GhostHaloRWBY and dewin0001 also followed the story, so thanks for that as well!

There is a whole lot that I'm proud of in Chapter 9. I think I mentioned in the past that the people around Adam keep him stable. Well, this is what you get when Adam's alone: manipulation, traps, a killing spree, and torture. I also (this always makes me feel a little weird to say) really liked writing Adam's terrorist manifesto. This is what he believes, but it's twisted by his loneliness and rage. And looping back to his interactions with others being the key, he's most in control in this chapter when he's speaking with Blake, even though she hates him at this point.

[Note: The next part is me ranting about the end of RWBY Volume 6 and why I wrote the last scene the way I did. If you just want to read the parts relevant to Dark Crimson Messiah, skip to the next brackets.]

Now, I know some people won't like how I did the radio tower scene, so I want to explain my feelings about the episode a bit. The fight between Yang and Adam was absolutely phenomenal, maybe my favorite in the whole series. It was fast, powerful, and a nice way to bring us back to Monty Oum after so long. Rest in peace, Monty. However, I felt that having her able to do that in that moment in the show broke a big part of Yang's development, her PTSD about Adam. The dropping of a glass used to make Yang lose control, she was seeing illusions of him and freaking out. It didn't make sense to me for her to then meet him in the flesh and then be able to fight him with no problem. It was an opportunity for some really intense character development that they shoved to the side for a relationship moment. There had to be something more for her to be able to overcome her trauma, and she needed a lot more training to be able to fight Adam on the level we saw in Volume 3.

Also, the reveal of Adam's brand felt just...hollow, when it should have been everything. Back when Adam was this symbol, this fighter for the Faunus, there were a bunch of questions about him. His method was showing results, so was he right that violence was the answer? Why is he wearing the mask so much, to the point of wearing a cloth across his eyes when he loses it? What could drive him to be willing to fight and kill like this to end "Faunus oppression" that we'd never really seen? That reveal of his face was the answer to all of that. It was everything we needed from Adam. But that isn't his character anymore, since around Volume 4. He's just the toxic ex-boyfriend now. So instead of that brand being essentially the visual reason for the White Fang to exist, it becomes about Blake, who has nothing to do with it. It just seems like they wanted to write Adam out, and threw in everything they had lying around about him before they killed him off.

That moment with the mask, that was when I started working on this story.

[Ranting complete, back to my story.]

First, the whole point of this chapter is that Adam recognizes there isn't much he can do for the Faunus at this point. They've rejected him. But Adam is broken, he can't let go of the anger and violence. The last way he can spin that - I think to himself as much as others - is to demonize himself. Blake now has the cause of the Faunus, but Adam won't stop fighting because he can't. It's all he has left.

On to the one that I think will upset a lot of people, Yang. I talked about it a lot in my rant above, but the short version is I think she got over her PTSD way too easily, and we didn't see her struggling to overcome it in any meaningful way. Yang hasn't seen Adam since he cut her arm off, she should not be able to stand up to him like this. Some will probably disagree (I do not have personal experience with PTSD) but based on her earlier reactions to just illusions of him, I thought that her being essentially paralyzed fit. And since I do like Bumblebee, I let them have that.

I had wanted to do something with Adam in Volume 7 territory (since he's, you know, alive), but I didn't feel like there was much that would really work for me writing him. I really love Volume 7 so far though.

Next chapter is the end of the story. I sort of feel like people reading this know what that ending will be. I knew what it was when I started writing this. There's really only one way for Adam's story to end.

Last chapter on Thursday.


	10. Chapter 10: The End of the Line

Adam's breath came harshly to him, a desert's east wind that scraped through his throat on its way down. Flames around him illuminated his figure, torn clothes and a veritable river of blood flowing from him. Most of it wasn't his. Plenty was. His aura struggled to crackle across his body as he panted on his knees.

Adam couldn't remember where he was. The sky was dark, but the time seemed so irrelevant. He felt the multitude of different flavors of pain clamoring for his attention and decided to skip the physical inventory. It wasn't worth it, the list was too long. He forced his pain into a muted cacophony and looked around himself. Bodies choked the earth around him, scores of corpses, faces frozen in shock or pain or anger. He'd been adding to that number all night. Why had they died? They were humans. They stood in his way. There was no need for another reason.

Some part of his mind vaguely remembered that this had been a trap. Faunus had been in danger, he'd heard. He came to fight, and they betrayed him. Everyone betrayed him, after everything he did for them. He barely felt it anymore. It was just rage, more rage, same as the pain of his body or the blindness of his eye or the sight of a huntsman. That rage that fed the bottomless ocean within him. An ocean he tried to empty through slaughter, though he might as well be using a basket. It never emptied, it never ebbed, it just burst its banks anew each time.

He was so tired.

Another human charged him and Adam's instincts forced him back to life. He struggled for footing, Wilt tearing through flesh and bone with a lingering cry of effort. His leg lost the sudden power as he finished the slash, sending him to the ground next to the human. The attack had been sloppy, simply ripping the human open instead of the killing stroke it should have been. He could hear them gasping on the ground next to him, and brought Wilt down on their neck. The gasping stopped as Adam forced himself back to his feet.

Adam swiped the blood off Wilt and moved to sheathe it, but found no sheath. Where was Blush? The pain from his left reminded him that it was probably still in his hand, wherever the hand was. He vaguely thought that he should bind up the wrist. When would he have the time? What would be the point?

Two more humans, both women. Huntresses. Atlesian uniforms. Adam deflected a curved blade, adrenaline forcing his muscles into action again as he prevented the next swing, catching her forearm with his stump and ramming the woman's nose with his forehead. She staggered back as Adam took a gunshot to his shoulder. His growl of pain became a roar as he swung wildly, nicking the huntress on his first pass and tearing into her lungs with his second. The other had recovered, and Adam beat her blade away again. Wilt felt lighter as Adam shoved it through her ribs. The last clash had broken the crimson blade to almost half its length. Adam switched his grip and hooked his arm around the huntress to keep his footing as he stabbed her again and again, ignoring the blood being spit onto his shoulder and neck. He threw her away as she died, dropping to his knees.

Adam raised his eyes. At least thirty more huntsmen were looking back at him. Guns were leveled at him. No other time. Adam reached up and knocked his mask off his face with the guard of Wilt. He indicated his eye with the broken sword.

"You tell the humans what made me!" Adam cried. "Tell them it can happen again! It will happen again! Again and again until the Faunus are given justice!"

The humans seemed to waver. How many of them had known about the branding? How many had ignored the practice? How many of them had cared? They were all equal, guilty as the man who'd burned Adam's eye out. They all deserved death.

Adam's mind ran back. Bullets, humans, Atlesian uniforms. A Faunus on his knees. Did Tangris feel this way when he died? He'd died on his knees, knowing that the cause would carry on past his death, that Adam would and had accepted it onto his shoulders. Selena died at the hands of a huntsman, to the simple cruelty of humanity. She'd passed her courage onto his shoulders as well. Balica, never wavering, always trusting in Adam to fight, to hold out against all opposition. He'd entrusted Adam with his steadfastness. So much weight on Adam, and nowhere for it to go. No one else could carry their spirit forward, stand where they should and remember them the day the Faunus became free. He couldn't give up the fight if it hadn't been entrusted to someone else. He couldn't give up the fight knowing it wasn't over. He couldn't give up the fight when the humans hadn't nearly paid for the pain of generations of Faunus.

"Surrender!" A huntsman yelled.

Adam didn't feel that a response was necessary. He fixed his grip on Wilt and staggered to his feet, guns and eyes trained on him. His body was a torn tapestry, nobility and honor and conviction reduced to tattered strands blowing in a wind of fury. He started forward slowly. Only his mind remained clear. This was the end. All that was left was to finish it, and the final choice. How long would Adam stand against the injustice?

Every second he could.

Adam's grip stiffened, snapping Wilt tighter to his hand. His feet began to move faster. He was running, his mouth opening. His last act would be one of defiance.

"FOR THE FAUNUS!" Adam roared at the thunder of the guns. His last words echoed as he fell. There wasn't much of him to fall. He'd been half a man when he'd charged, and what remained had been decimated by the hail of fire. His life ended on his feet, and a corpse fell to the ground before the Atlesian huntsmen.

Just before dawn that morning, Adam Taurus died.

* * *

Author's Note:

I'm going to be uploading an afterword sort of breaking down my thoughts on this story, so this will be for this chapter only.

First, shout-out to **Gleaming Onyx** for favoriting the story!

I think I knew what I wanted chapter 10 to be around when I wrote chapter 5. Really, it seemed to me like Adam Taurus's story could only end one way. He couldn't forgive, he couldn't accept any compromise, and he would never let himself be taken into custody. The only way this was going to end was with his death. That said, I didn't like that it was Blake and Yang who did it. I feel like they should be better than that - better than him - and see that an injured man with no defense shouldn't be executed.

As I mentioned last chapter, I had at least planned this scene before I started watching Volume 7. So far, nothing in it has seemed to scream for Adam's involvement, and he's been mentioned once, indirectly, at the point that I've watched. So this stayed chapter 10, nothing in between. It's short, but I'm still very proud of it.


	11. Afterword

Well, here we are again, at the end of the story.

Dark Crimson Messiah is a different type of story from the others I have on here. There's no romance, very little happiness, and a lot more violence. That said, it may be my proudest work I've ever written. My introduction mentioned how my father recommended changing my style to this more novel-like writing, and I've found I love it. It has a tendency to inspire these random bits of prose that just spring into my mind while I'm writing. I think it will overall be more of how I write moving forward.

Adam Taurus is not my usual character to write. I would like to thank youtube user EruptionFang for encouraging me to take a closer look at him and overall sparking this story. Adam is a dark person. Maybe a psychotic terrorist, maybe a tragic hero. It was sometimes a challenge to write these horrible things he was doing from the point of view that it was completely justified. I'm not sure where I stand on Adam overall. I think he went too far in pursuit of justice, but I'm not sure he was entirely wrong. I guess we'll never really find out from RWBY.

I started this story by asking where the readers stopped liking Adam. So far, no responses to that question. I'm not going to state my own opinion on it, I don't want to skew the results.

Thank you so much to all of the readers on this story. Despite only being up for a short time, this story has over 700 views at the time of this upload. Considering the number of chapters in this one as compared to my other stories, I think that's incredible. This was a risk for me, switching my writing style and tone for this story, and I cannot express how much it means to me to have the support of this community. Truly, thank you all.

So, what's next? I'm working on a few projects at the moment, not sure what's going to stick and what's going to fizzle. My sequel to A Flickering Light is still in the works, but no clue when that will be ready. I have about half of a Borderlands 2 story that I might finish sometime. Primarily, though, what's coming next is Star Wars. I've been playing a lot of SWTOR recently, and the class storylines for each of the classes meant that I ended up developing actual characters with personalities to play the story more accurately. And a lot of them started inspiring me to write. Most likely, the first one you see will be my Sith Warrior character. His story is the most developed at this point, and probably my favorite of the ones I'm working on. I also think it's funny that I can very clearly tell reading it which chapters were written before I wrote Dark Crimson Messiah, and which came afterwards. That'll probably be the next one up here.

As a final note, this is actually my second RWBY story. The first never made it onto this site, and was focused on Fox of Team CFVY. It was originally a challenge to see if I could write a blind character well. It's not the same quality as this one, but if you're interested in reading Quick Blind Fox, let me know and I'll post it.

I think that's about it. Feel free to leave me comments or PM me if you have more to say or critiques on the story, I am constantly seeking to improve.

Until next time.

-WolfWing


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